Central Park In Bronze

Location: 101st Street and Fifth Avenue

Artist/Designer: Richmond Barthé, sculptor; Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, architects

Materials: Swenson’s pink granite

Installation: 1939

Funding: Friends of Arthur Brisbane

 

Arthur Brisbane (1864-1936) was a journalist who worked for both Joseph Pulitzer at the New York World and his arch competitor, William Randolph Hearst at the New York Journal. Brisbane helped to create yellow journalism, a sensationalistic, gossip-filled style noted for banner headlines and many exclamation points. Hearst and Brisbane used the press to advocate for the Spanish-American War, ultimately demonstrating the power of the press to shape public opinion and policy. Brisbane was the highest paid newspaper editor of his day.

 

The sculptor, born to Haitian-Creole parents in Mississippi, was best known for his depictions of African-Americans and was an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance movement. While he received critical acclaim during his career, by the end of his life he was living in poverty in Pasadena, California.