The New York Preservation Archive Project joined forces with the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) in “Celebrating 50 Years of Preservation Public Service” with a special gathering that honored past and present commissioners, chairs, executive directors, and staff of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Conceived as part of the Museum’s exhibition Saving Place: 50 Years of New York City Landmarks, this unofficial reunion gathered a remarkable range of people who have been associated at some point with the Commission, from current interns to several former chairs and from local New Yorkers to an attendee traveling all the way from Japan! Guests enjoyed cake and champagne while catching up with colleagues, toured the exhibition with curator Andrew Dolkart, and gathered together for an outstanding group photo.  

The Archive Project worked closely with MCNY to make this celebration interactive and capture the memories of those present. Via a large wall-mounted timeline, attendees were able to post their LPC story, populating the panel with brief, personal memories of their work at the Commission, prompted by questions such as, “What landmark are you most proud of preserving and why?” and “What sites do you wish were landmarks?” The Archive Project also had “roving reporters” on hand during the celebration to capture impromptu interviews with those present. MCNY has graciously allowed our interviewers access to several programs related to the 50^th anniversary exhibition, and some incredible insight and reminiscences have been captured. In addition, at the event the Archive Project continued to gather the names and contact information of current and former staff members of the LPC in order to create a master list. 

Location:
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10029
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