Reviewed by: The Landmarks of New York: An Illustrated, Comprehensive Record of New York City's Historic Buildings, Sixth Edition by Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel Cristina Vignone The Landmarks of New York: An Illustrated, Comprehensive Record of New York City's Historic Buildings, Sixth Edition. By Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel. New York: NYU Press, 2016, 912 pages, $75.00 cloth. The Landmarks of New York: An Illustrated, Comprehensive Record of New York City's Historic Buildings, Sixth Edition is an encyclopedia of the 1,352 individual landmarks and 135 historic districts that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has, since its establishment in 1965, accorded landmark status. The text is organized by date of construction, which means that the architectural history of New York City unfolds page by page and entry by entry. [End Page 295] Throughout the text runs author Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel's claim that, in the grand scheme of historic preservation in the United States, New York City should be celebrated for its strong commitment to landmark preservation. This is particularly remarkable, she argues, in a country where destruction of the past is often seen as a necessary evil encountered on the road to progress. Therefore, the purpose of the resource is twofold: to address misconceptions about landmark preservation and to provide the most comprehensive record of New York City's designated structures, sites, and districts. Researchers using The Landmarks of New York to investigate a specific designated structure, site, or district will be best served by the text. The straightforward organization of each entry—which contains the address, origin, restoration, and designation dates, architect information, and a very brief history account—will serve basic research needs like these well. The text's broad scope, however, means that it cannot easily be used as a historical survey of the architectural history of the city. While it primarily proceeds chronologically, many moments that irrevocably influenced the historic structures, sites, and districts of New York City are only briefly discussed. These include the commercial development of Lower Manhattan in the first half of the twentieth century, Robert Moses' urban renewal initiatives in the mid-twentieth century, and the government-funded projects of the 1950s and 1960s. As an encyclopedic text, the resource is as comprehensive as can be. It covers banks, bridges, apartment houses, piers, theaters, streets, churches, factories, schools, cemeteries, parks, clubs, museums, office towers, archeological sites, and even trees across all five boroughs of New York City. It therefore serves many different purposes for various audiences. The text also contains brief paragraph-length entries for re-heard and calendared sites that, as of February 23, 2016, were not yet designated. This serves as a reminder that the resource, now in its sixth edition, needs to be regularly updated to provide a contemporary account of the city's designated landmarks. Diamonstein-Spielvogel's research methods for compiling the information included in the text are clearly explained. First, she assembled the designation reports of the Commission, then contacted any and all organizations connected to each landmarked site, and finally cross-checked the two [End Page 296] sources to create each entry. This three-step research process is outlined in the preface, where she admits that despite her research team's best efforts, verification of every fact for each structure, site, and district was not always possible. Readers are encouraged to interact with the text and its authors by sharing their own verifiable knowledge, data, and emendations with her team. Beyond its function as an encyclopedia, The Landmarks of New York is also a noteworthy account of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission's formation and operation. The volume's exploration of the designation process—from identification to evaluation and prioritization, on to calendaring, public hearing, and research, and through to final designation—is easily comprehensible. It clearly defines the kinds of landmarks considered, lists the commission's members and staff, explores the public meetings, hearings, and outreach sessions, and examines the role of the City Council and the City Planning Commission in the entire process. Because landmarks continue to function following their designation, Diamonstein-Spielvogel also accounts for the Commission's regulations that guide all work (including repairs, alterations...
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