The Once and Future New York ─ Historic Preservation and the Modern City

Mason (city and regional planning, U. of Pennsylvania's School of Design) analyzes the preservation movement that emerged in New York City from 1890 to 1920, noting that these efforts to save parks, buildings and landmarks were fueled by a desire to create a "memory infrastructure" for future development. Written for general audiences, this volume focuses on the preservation movements of City Hall Park, St. John's Chapel and the Bronx River Parkway and shows how reformers were more interested in maintaining a collective history of the city than restoring significant buildings. Plenty of photographs and architectural renderings are included to illustrate the scope and intention of these restoration projects. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)