Prospect Park lantern slide collection
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Abstract
The slides show Prospect Park from the time of construction to the 1920s, as well as the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and notable Brooklyn buildings.
Historical note
Prospect Park, located in Brooklyn, N.Y. was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the landscape architects responsible for Central Park and Riverside Park in Manhattan. Construction began in 1866 and continued into the 1870s. The park's design included a meadow, wooded ravine, and lake. Prospect Park was immensely popular upon opening, and attracted visitors from across the social classes. The park's rural scenery and recreation areas were supplemented by new features such as a zoo and playgrounds in the early 20th century. As of 2011, Prospect Park is one of the largest parks in Brooklyn and receives over eight million visitors each year.
Sources
- Prospect Park Alliance. "Timeline." Accessed April 1, 2011. http://www.prospectpark.org/visit/history/timeline
Scope and Contents
The Prospect Park lantern slide collection dates from circa 1886 to 1929 and contains 91 items. The collection includes both black-and-white and hand-colored lantern slides. The slides show Prospect Park from the time of construction to the 1920s, as well as the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and notable Brooklyn buildings. Images show park activities, such as group recreation, sports, and gatherings; statues and monuments; construction of the park; horticultural and holiday displays; large areas of the park, such as the parade grounds, Prospect Park Zoo, Prospect Park Lake, Long Meadow, and various walkways; and aerial views of the entire park.
Some lantern slides in the collection originate from commercial slide studios, namely Edward Van Altena and Breseler Lantern Slides Co. One copy print is also available.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to users without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
All commercially produced slides are in the public domain. Copyright for anonymously created works will remain in effect for 120 years following the date of creation. Based on the date range of this collection, all items will enter the public domain by 2049. For information on securing rights to publish or reproduce, please see the Brooklyn Historical Society Reproduction Rights Policy.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Prospect Park lantern slide collection, V1980.002, Box number, Object ID number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source and date of acquisition for the collection are unknown. This collection was accessioned in 1980.
Other Finding Aids
Item-level description and digital versions of images from the collection are available for searching via the image database in the library.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Fully processed to the item level.
