2015
Experience autumn’s panorama of color in an historic setting – The Woodlawn Cemetery’s 400 acres offer a spectacular display of diverse fall foliage. Be inspired by 150 years of history, art, and architecture. As stewards of this National Historic Landmark, Woodlawn Conservancy is proud to offer a full season of tours and events.
Photograph by Gavin Ashworth
arts & culture BARDEKOVA ENSEMBLE CONCERT September 20, 3PM • FREE Enjoy an afternoon of music inside Woolworth Chapel. The Bardekova Ensemble returns to Woodlawn with their Quartet to perform a free concert. The program will include selections of music by Irving Berlin, Miles Davis, and Celia Cruz, as well as classical composers.
A HISTORY IN IMAGES: WOODLAWN’S ILLUSTRATORS September 27, 2PM “Put it before them […] picturesquely, so they will remember it.” This was Woodlawn resident Joseph Pulitzer’s take on images’ role in news. This tour will trace the history of the emergence of cartoons and illustrations in newspapers, and showcase the many influential illustrators the Conservancy’s researchers have identified here, including Thomas Nast, JC Leyendecker, and George McManus.
Photograph of Thomas Nast by Napoleon Sarony
For a complete calendar of events, to view tour pricing, and to register for events, please visit woodlawnconservancy.org or call (718) 920-1469. All tours, unless otherwise noted, begin at the Conservancy office, located at the cemetery’s entrance on Jerome and Bainbridge Avenues.
open house ny 2015 The Woodlawn Cemetery is proud to once again open up its doors to this city-wide event. Find out which mausoleum took 7 years to build because the owner kept changing her mind on the design; which mausoleum is a replica of a chapel in France; and which was inspired by Egypt’s ‘Pharaoh’s Bed’! DESIGN STORIES October 17, 4PM • FREE Designing a mausoleum is a deeply personal experience, and the process can tell us as much about the owner as the finished building itself. Discover the inspiration behind some of the cemetery’s most notable mausoleums and the relationship between the owner and architect.
Photograph by Gavin Ashworth
UNLOCKING MAUSOLEUM INTERIORS
October 18, 4PM • FREE
A selection of rarely, or never before accessible mausoleums will be opened up on this tour led by Susan Olsen, Woodlawn’s Director of Historical Services. Come see what lies behind the doors of Woodlawn residents’ final resting places. Opposite page: Monument design from Woodlawn’s Archives; Photograph of mausoleum window by Lee Sandstead
nature EARLY BIRD WALK September 27, 8AM Join Tod Winston and Joe McManus from the New York Audubon Society for an early morning walk through Woodlawn and discover which species make the cemetery their home in the fall.
MUSHROOM FORAGING October 4, 10AM Our 400 acres are known to house many plants and animals, but did you know they’re also teeming with mushrooms in the autumn months? Come hone your urban foraging skills with The New York Mycological Society as they guide you through how to search for and enjoy different edible fungi types.
TREES OF WOODLAWN WITH BILL LOGAN October 18, 2PM Don’t miss Woodlawn’s rich fall foliage! The Urban Arborist, author and tree expert Bill Logan, will lead a walk through Woodlawn’s garden landscapes as our Great Trees’ leaves turn color and reach their peak.
Photography by Gavin Ashworth
history THE TRANSIT MUSEUM’S NOSTALGIA TRAIN COMES TO WOODLAWN October 24, 4PM Ride a WWI-era IRT Subway car from Grand Central and head uptown to Woodlawn. Bring a picnic dinner to have on Fairview Lawn and afterwards, join a flashlight walking tour through the cemetery. The vintage train will depart for its return trip to midtown promptly at 9pm.
Photography by Gavin Ashworth
MESSAGES IN STONE: CEMETERY SYMBOLISM November 1, 2PM From lilies and passionfruit flowers, to Masonic symbols – cemetery monuments offer rich clues as to the way an individual wanted to be remembered. Come on a walk through Woodlawn as we search for these messages in stone and uncover their hidden meaning.
CELEBRATING ELIZABETH CADY STANTON’S 200TH BIRTHDAY November 12, 2PM • FREE Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s memorial lists her many remarkable achievements: “Called Woman’s Rights Convention, First in History, at Seneca Falls”, “demanded votes for women”, “Founder National Woman Suffrage Association”. Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day was first declared in 1941. Join us on her 200th birthday to celebrate this women’s rights leaders’ life in anticipation of the upcoming New York State Suffragette Centennial. A wreath laying ceremony by her gravesite will be followed by a reception and birthday cake.
Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
members only BEHIND THE SCENES WITH WOODLAWN’S RESTORATION APPRENTICES November 18, 11AM • FREE to Members Get a glimpse behind the scenes of Woodlawn’s innovative collaboration with the World Monuments Fund. Join our Stone Preservation apprentices and Resident Craftsman Robert Cappiello and learn what goes into preserving the historic treasures of Woodlawn Cemetery!
Photograph by Debra Pickrel
join us! Woodlawn Conservancy Membership provides access to member-only events, discounted tour rates, and other exclusive benefits. For more information about becoming a member of the Woodlawn Conservancy, please contact members@woodlawnconservancy.org or call 718-408-5625.
tours SECOND SUNDAY TOURS Held the second Sunday of the month, 2PM What do Herman Melville, JC Penny, and the Titanic have in common? Woodlawn! Join us for an introduction to this unique landmark and the stories of celebrated individuals from the past 150 years. You will learn about Woodlawn’s history, step inside several notable mausoleums, and discover Woodlawn’s connections to Jazz history and Gilded Age New York.
GROUP TOURS Are you curious about The Woodlawn Cemetery, but can’t make it to any of our public programs? The Conservancy offers customizable group tours that fit your schedule and interests. Contact us to find out how to book your tour!
Photograph by Lee Sandstead
access The Woodlawn Cemetery is open for visitation every day, 8:30am to 4:30pm. Woodlawn is easily accessible by subway (4, 5, 2) or Metro North Railroad from Grand Central Station. Detailed driving directions are available online. Free parking on site. Woodlawn Conservancy, Inc. supports the merchants and businesses of the Bronx. Please patronize them when you visit The Woodlawn Cemetery.
VISIT www.woodlawnconservancy.org CALL (718) 920-1469 EMAIL contact@woodlawnconservancy.org
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—Benjamin Petit, The New York Times
museums is not on Fifth Avenue or Madison Avenue, but on 400 acres of beautifully landscaped land at Webster Avenue and East 233rd Street in the Bronx.”
“One of New York City’s most unusual
WOODLAWN CONSERVANCY 4199 Webster Avenue Bronx, New York 10470