When the Central Park Conservancy formed and began transforming the park in 1980, the group also started documenting everything that was happening inside of its perimeter walls. These early years were all captured with black & white film, and more recently they've been digitizing the old shots, which number in the tens of thousands.
"Finding and digitizing these photos is the first part of the process," Falguni Smith of the CPC told Gothamist. "From there, our staff look for clues in the photos, like landmarks or fashion choices, to identify where and when an image was captured to help us write accurate, contemporary descriptions when possible."
The Central Park Conservancy was formed by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to improve the park — at the time, Belvedere Castle was tagged with graffiti, lawns were mostly dirt, and broken benches were just sad reminders of a time when the park was filled with life. (See before and after photos of their work here.)
While the newly digitized photos are not yet in a searchable portal, the Conservancy shared a newly digitized selection with us, mostly from the early 1980s.
These were still early days for the group — Doug Blonsky, former president of the Central Park Conservancy, told Gothamist that in 1985, after a three-year study, they published Rebuilding Central Park: A Management and Restoration plan, "which was basically a 15 year plan for the recovery of Central Park." At the time these photos were taken, that study was still underway, though they already saw early successes through smaller projects.
Belvedere Castle, 1980s
"By digitizing these photos we're able to preserve some of the Park's history," Smith noted. "With so much of our lives moving to the digital realm during the pandemic, we’ve seen increased interest with our online offerings, especially as we connect the Park experience with the history of the City."
