It has been a few months since I’ve had the Photo of the Week feature relating to the waterways of the city. With a little over a week left before the show ends, I stopped to see the photography exhibit My Father’s Son at the Arsenal parks headquarters in Central Park.
The exhibit showcases works by Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP and his late father Irwin Silver. The father’s black and white works show life in 1950s New York, while the son’s photos show the natural beauty of the city’s parks.
Hidden Waters on Display
Since assuming his position, Commissioner Silver has had the honor of cutting the ribbon at the fish passage on the Bronx River, strolling across the reopened High Bridge, taking a boat to North Brother Island and hiking the artificial hills of Governor’s Island. On all of these visits, longtime Parks staff photographer Malcolm Pinckney snapped the officials accompanying Commissioner Silver, who carried his own camera in advance of this exhibit.
Without giving away the entire exhibit, one example of a waterway on display is Harlem Meer, the northernmost lake in Central Park.
Another one is Turtle Pond, a remnant of Central Park’s Lower Reservoir located beneath Belvedere Castle. One of the things that New Yorkers are thankful for is our parks, where there is so much dramatic fall foliage to see, why take the trip to New England? I snapped a couple of foliage shots on my way to the exhibit, accompanied by hidden waterways reflecting the colors.
The Pool
The Pool is a pond constructed on the former stream bed of Montayne’s Rivulet at West 101st Street, fed by two artificial springs that emerge from pipes hidden beneath rocks. The Pool empties into Glen Span Falls, which then carries the water through a ravine on the way to Harlem Meer.
The Pond
The Pond is a constructed waterway situated on the former course of De Voor’s Mill Stream. It is the southernmost waterway in the park, situated in the shadows of Midtown skyscrapers. The foliage is comprised of trees within the Hallett Nature Sanctuary. Tucked amid the foliage is Gapstow Bridge, a popular site for filmmakers, marriage proposals and selfies.
My Father’s Son is on display through November 30 at the Third Floor Gallery at The Arsenal, 830 Fifth Avenue from 9 am to 5 pm on weekdays.
In the News:
Curbed contributor Nathan Kensinger follows the course of Westchester Creek in the Bronx. I reported on its history two months earlier.
NY1 News reports on the luxury condo development being built along the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn.
Norwood News reports on the pop-up Bronx River Museum operated by the Bronx Community Charter School.
Hidden Waters blog 