Thursday, December 16, 2021 – A LOVELY TREE IN A FAMOUS PARK

By admin

FROM THE ARCHIVES

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

THE  547th  EDITION


An Impressionist Painter’s


Christmas in


Madison Square Park

Paul Cornoyer’s work has been featured in Ephemeral New York in several earlier posts; this Impressionist artist originally from St. Louis was captivated by the Gilded Age city’s energy and vitality, as well as the beauty of its parks.

Cornoyer depicted Madison Square Park many times. But to my knowledge, “Christmas in Madison Square Park” is the only painting of his that captures what appears to be New York City’s first official park Christmas tree.

The tree—a 60-footer from the Adirondacks—made its debut in Madison Square on December 21, 1912, lit with 1,200 colored lights donated by the Edison company. It was such a hit, decorated Christmas trees soon became the norm in many city parks and squares.

I haven’t been able to confirm the date of the painting. Cornoyer moved to New York City in 1899 and spent several years here, so if the tree in this nocturne isn’t the very first park Christmas tree, it’s likely to be one of the firsts.

What a beauty it is, next to what could be the tower of Madison Square Garden in the blue glow of a winter’s night!

THURSDAY PHOTO OF THE DAY

SEND  YOUR ANSWER TO ROOSEVELTISLANDHISTORY@GMAIL.COM

WEDNESDAY PHOTO OF THE DAY

Manhattan Bridge over the Lower East Side
NINA LUBLIN, ED LITCHER, ARON EISENPREISS, GLORIA HERMAN AND LAURA HUSSEY
GOT IT RIGHT!

RIHS/NYPL ZOOM PROGRAM ON DECEMBER 21, 2021 AT 6:30 P.M.

WITH
MELINDA HUNT, FOUNDER OF THE HART ISLAND PROJECT

UPDATE ON HART ISLAND

HART ISLAND, THE HOME OF THE NYC MUNICIPAL CEMETERY HAS HAD MANY CHANGES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.  THE ISLAND IS NOW ADMINISTERED BY THE NYC PARKS DEPARTMENT.

https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2021/12/21/rihs-lecture-hart-island

Text by Judith Berdy
Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS
Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website
Edited by Deborah Dorff
All image are copyrighted (c)

EPHEMERAL NEW YORK

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