Williamsburg Regional Library

Saving Central Park, a history and a memoir, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers

Label
Saving Central Park, a history and a memoir, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers
Language
eng
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
resource.biographical
autobiography
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
Literary Form
non fiction
Main title
Saving Central Park
Nature of contents
bibliography
Oclc number
999672018
Responsibility statement
Elizabeth Barlow Rogers
Sub title
a history and a memoir
Summary
"The story of how one woman's long love affair with New York's Central Park led her to a job in which she was able to organize the rescue of the park from its serious decline in the 1970s, returning it to the beautiful place of recreational opportunity and spiritual sustenance it is today. Elizabeth Barlow Rogers opens with a quick survey of her early life--a middle-class upbringing in Texas; college at Wellesley, marriage, a degree in City Planning at Yale. And then her move to New York where she has children and, when she finds being a mother and a housewife is not enough, pours herself into the protection and enhancement of the city's green spaces. Interwoven into her own story is a comprehensive history of Central Park: its design and construction as a scenic masterpiece; the alterations of each succeeding era; the addition of numerous facilities for sports and play; and finally the "anything goes phase" of the 1960s and '70s, which was often fun but almost destroyed the park. The two narratives continue to entwine as she finds a job in the administration of Central Park, founds the Central Park Conservancy, and transforms both the park and herself--a transformation that has led to her many books, to travels that have taken her to parks and gardens around the world, and has solidified the prestige of New York's most conspicuous landmark."--Provided by publisher
Table Of Contents
Introduction: Implausible ideal -- Near death -- Early advocates -- Looking back -- Moving forward -- Design masterpiece -- Multiple lives -- Power player -- Learning curve -- Changing times -- Troubled waters -- Gardening days -- Going abroad -- Darker side -- Growing pains -- Two Betsys -- Money matters -- Golden age -- Saffron celebration
Target audience
adult
Classification
Content
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