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Tag Archives: Calvert Vaux

Lost History: A Glitzy Central Park Speakeasy, Turned Children’s Playground

12 Thursday Sep 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Amazing but true!, Central Park, Lost History, New York City

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Calvert Vaux, Casino, Central Park, Central Park Conservacy, Elizabeth Fais, Fiorello La Guardia, Frederick George Richard Roth, Great Depression, Ladies Refreshment Salon, Mary Harriman Rumsey, Mayor James Walker, Mother Goose Sculpture, New York City, Prohibition, Robert Moses, Rumsey Playfield, Rumsey Playground, speakeasy, SummerStage

“Lost History” Blog Series

Calendar/ClockI did a lot of  research in an around New York City’s Central Park for my young adult (YA) novel, and was amazed by the history. The stories I uncovered were all but lost, so I decided to do a blog series on them. They’re not connected to my YA novel, but they’re rich in character and deserve to be remembered. [image: morguefile.com]

The All But Forgotten “Casino”

You’ve got to wonder … not only about the children’s playground that was once the site of an exclusive speakeasy, but also the name given to the glitzy nightclub. You see, the Casino was never a gambling establishment. Go figure. [1920’s postcard]

Central Park "Casino" 1920s

But I’m getting ahead of myself, and history…

The Ladies Refreshment Salon

Ladies Refreshment Salon, Central Park, NYCThe first structure to grace the area near 71 Street and 5th Avenue was a Ladies Refreshment Salon. The two room stone cottage was designed by Calvert Vaux—co-designer of Central Park—in 1864, as a place where women could retire and partake of modestly priced food without a male escort. Those were the times when women didn’t out by themselves, unless it was an establishment specifically for ladies. The following is a sketch of the Ladies Refreshment Salon from the Annual Report of the Board of Commissioners of The Central Park, 1864 [copyright expired].

The Ladies Refreshment Salon eventually became popular with men as well as women. Over the decades the structure was expanded to accommodate the increase of customers, and modestly priced food became a thing of the past.

The Casino ~ an Elite Nightclub ~ was Born

In 1928 the Ladies Refreshment Salon was transformed into a high-pricedThe Casino at night restaurant, that turned into the see-and-be-seen night spot of Mayor James Walker and his friends.

This “new” establishment catered to the rich and famous. Guests dined on elegant French cuisine, and despite Prohibition drank their fill of bootleg liquor, as they danced the night away in a fantastic black-glass ballroom.

This photo shows rows of shiny automobiles are parked outside the glittering Casino, while their owners dance the night away. [photo nycparksgov.org]

Casino waitresses pose in the following photo from the Library of Congress.

Waitresses at the Casino

You’d think that the stock market crash of 1929 would have put an end to the Casino’s nightly revelry. But no. The parties raged on. It wasn’t until the early 1930’s, as the Depression deepened, that the public outcry at the audacious self-indulgence of the privileged few was finally heard.

Fiorello La Guardia, a political reformer, was the man who stepped up to denounce the Casino as a woopee joint. When he was elected in 1933, the tide had turned against the Casino’s blatant ostentatiousness. Unfortunately, the Casino was torn down in 1935 at the command of Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, and an architectural treasure that was an integral part of Olmsted and Vaux’s original design for Central Park was lost.

Next… A Children’s Playground and SummerStage

How do you redeem a site that catered to the wealthiest adult clientele in New York City while most of the country starved? Turn it into a children’s playground, of course!

After the demolition of the Casino, the site was developed into a playground for children and named after Mary Harriman Mother Goose StatueRumsey.  The Mother Goose sculpture, created by Frederick George Richard Roth, was installed in 1938 at the entrance to the Mary Harriman Rumsey Playground. [Image by moi]

The 60-inch granite sculpture consists of the central figure of Mother Goose astride a goose, surrounded by Humpty Dumpty, Old King Cole, Little Jack Horner, Mother Hubbard, and Mary and her little lamb. You can read more about the sculpture and the artist who created it here.

In later years, the children’s “playground” became a popular site for puppet shows. The stage area soon caught on for all manner of performances, for all age groups.

Today, this area is also referred to as the SummerStage. Music and theater performances are held in this venue throughout the summer months, and many of the concerts are free. To roll with the times and include the extended uses of the space, the Rumsey Playground is now called the Rumsey Playfield.

Rumsey Playfield map

More Lost History…

In case you missed these posts in my Lost History blog series:

  • The Revolutionary War in New York’s Central Park
  • Central Park’s First Tavern, That Became a Convent, Then a Hotel

40.771133 -73.974187

Discovering Manhattan: A Pictorial Tour of My Protagonist’s World

12 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Central Park, New York City, Research, Story, Writing

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Belvedere Castle, Calvert Vaux, Central Park, Central Park Conservancy, Cleopatra's Needle, Elizabeth Fais, Ellen Gregory, Frozen Hot Chocolate, Manhattan, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, NY13SCBWI, NYC, SCBWI, Serendipity 3, Subway, The Met, The Plaza Hotel, Waldorf Astoria

Manual typewriterResearch is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. It’s an intriguing exploration into worlds-yet-unknown, where the story comes to life and becomes real.  I had a few final details to research in Manhattan for my project, which was major reason behind my coast hopping to New York City in early February. (pic by moi)

Yes, I went to NYC to attend the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Winter Conference (NY13SCBWI), which was wonderful in all the ways such conferences are. But I had another agenda too… Research.

The Character of Central Park Landmarks…

My project takes place in and around New York City’s Central Park, and a couple of the landmarks played such an important role in the story that they became characters themselves…

Cleopatra’s Needle: The oldest man-made object in Central Park
Image by Central Park Conservancy, the organization responsible for restoring and maintaining Central Park’s historic beauty.

CentralPark_obelisk-l

Belvedere Castle: Built in 1869 by Calvert Vaux
Image by Central Park Conservancy

Belvedere Castle, Central Park NYC

Her Way is the Subway…

Most New Yorkers use public transportation to get around town. My protagonist is no different. She uses the subway, so I followed in her footsteps. There beneath the streets of Manhattan, I discovered the amazing signage from a bygone era (pic by moi)…

86th Street Subway Tile marker

Historical Ruins in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is important to my protagonist and her story as well, so I had to experience the collection first-hand. What impressed me most (and I was an art major, so I’ve been to lots of art museums) is that The Met houses reconstructed historical rooms and ruins … not just the typical types of art (pics by moi)…

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Serendipity 3: Frozen Hot Chocolate

Like many teenagers, my protagonist loves coffee and chocolate. And what better place to meet her friends than Serendipity 3? While conspiring, they consume coffee drinks and Serendipity’s world-famous Frozen Hot Chocolate. Which is to die for, by the way (pics by moi)…

Serendipity 3, NYC

The Plaza … Of course!

My next stop was The Plaza Hotel, where my protagonist’s grandfather owns a private suite. Yes, on the top floor … one with a turret. Eloise does not have anything to do with my story, but I had to take this picture because nothing says “The Plaza” like Eloise. The photo on the right is of The Palm Court restaurant (pics by moi)…

The Plaza Hotel, NYC

Hiding Out at The Waldorf Astoria…

Last but not least was a visit to The Waldorf  Astoria, where my protagonist is forced to go into hiding. Yeah, I know. Tough break sistah. You might wish you had her financial backing … but you don’t want the problems tied to it. Trust me.

The lobby of The Waldorf Astoria is an architectural marvel…

NYC14

How do you discover your character’s world?

Ellen Gregory’s recent post on her “research” experience with beads and braids, inspired me to share this pictorial research tour.

What type of research helps you discover your character’s world?


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