Join GVSHP for our exciting lineup of November public programs. Reservations are required for all programs. RSVP:
rsvp@gvshp.org or (212) 475-9585 x 35
A lecture by Ralph Lee
When: Wednesday, November 13; 6:30 - 8:00 P.M
Where: Westbeth Community Room, 55 Bethune Street
Cost: Free; reservations required
In 1974 mask maker and theater director Ralph Lee organized the first Village Halloween Parade, in conjunction with the Theater for a New City. It was conceived as a mile-long theatre event, from Westbeth in the West Village to Washington Square, consisting of masked and costumed performers, celebrants and bands of musicians marching in the streets, with additional performers inhabiting balconies, rooftops and fire escapes along the route.
The Village Halloween Parade featured Lee's masks and giant puppets but encouraged other groups and individuals to put their imaginations in high gear and bring their own unique creations to join the parade. Lee directed the parade for its first twelve years.
2013 Program Series: Fifty Years since the Demolition of Penn Station
Fifty years ago, New York suffered one of its greatest losses and most powerful wake-up calls: Penn Station's demolition. Of its replacement, Vincent Scully famously said that while through Penn Station, "one entered the city like a god, one scuttles in now like a rat." A generation of New Yorkers vowed to never let such a tragic loss occur again.
What: Preservation after the Demolition of Penn Station: A Panel Discussion
Co-sponsored by the New York Preservation Archive Project
When: Thursday, November 14; 6:30 - 8:00 P.M.
Where: Village Community School, 272-278 West 10th Street, between Washington and Greenwich Streets
Cost: Free; reservations required
The original Penn Station, built by the renowned architecture firm of McKim, Mead, and White in 1910, stood for over fifty years as a masterpiece of the Beaux-Arts style and a monument to New York's aspirations as a world capitol. In 1963 the station was demolished, a loss that was bitterly protested. The demolition prompted deep self-reflection on the part of our city, and was soon followed by the passage of New York City's Landmarks Law.
This program will examine how the preservation effort in New York has evolved since then, with a focus on each mayoral administration. Panelists will include: Prof. Franny Eberhart, a director of the Historic Districts Council and Vice-Chair of the Historic House Trust; Anthony Robins, preservationist and author; and Tony Wood, author and founder of the New York Preservation Archive Project. Moderated by Andrew Berman, Executive Director of Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.
What: Shadows on Bleecker Street
A book talk by authors Milton Polsky and Warren Wyss
When: Monday, November 18; 6:30 - 8:00 P.M.
Where: Father Demo Hall, 234 Bleecker Street, at the corner of Carmine Street
Cost: Free; reservations required
Join authors Milton Polsky and Warren Wyss on an exciting journey down an historic Greenwich Village street as it slowly yields its secrets during three tension-filled days for a desperate man with a mission. Soon after Tim Hartknoll, a young African-American professor, finally convinces Jeff Gardner, his 40-year-old mentor at Greene Street College, to invest in a rare book found on Bleecker Street, he is murdered and the book stolen. Tim's last words, "Tour is..." drive Jeff to hunt down the killer and recover the book, which was signed by Frederick Douglass in 1841. In spite of dire threats to himself and to his family, Jeff strives to finish the tour as he searches for clues to solve the crimes. In doing so, he is emboldened through discovering the courage and energy of the tour's maverick subjects--Tom Paine, Margaret Sanger, Charlie "Bird" Parker, Lenny Bruce, Walt Whitman, and most of all, Frederick Douglass--to trap the killer and retrieve the rare book. You'll gain a renewed appreciation of the Village as you follow Jeff's search.
To register for any of these programs, please call (212) 475-9585 x35 or email.