Documenting the WTC Memorial Risers

The Municipal Archives recently launched a project to document the “risers” built for the annual 9/11 memorial services at the World Trade Center. Beginning September 11, 2002, New York City held annual memorial services for the victims of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Memorial pool at the World Trade Center, September 11, 2005.  Photographer:  Michael Lorenzini, NYC Municipal Archives.

Memorial pool at the World Trade Center, September 11, 2005.  Photographer:  Michael Lorenzini, NYC Municipal Archives.

For the first nine years, family members who gathered at the site for the services placed flowers and memorabilia in two water-filled pools representing the World Trade Center Twin Towers.

DORIS staff gathered mementos and flowers from a memorial pool at the World Trade Center, September 11, 2008.  Photographer:  Michael Lorenzini, NYC Municipal Archives.

DORIS staff gathered mementos and flowers from a memorial pool at the World Trade Center, September 11, 2008.  Photographer:  Michael Lorenzini, NYC Municipal Archives.

The Municipal Archives preserved items left by friends and families at the site, along with the structural elements of the water-filled pools. Known as the “risers,” these wooden beams vary in size with some measuring approximately 18' x 10" (18 ft. long x 10 inches wide).  

WTC Risers. WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020. Photographer: Pearl Boatswain,  NYC Municipal Archives.

WTC Risers. WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020. Photographer: Pearl Boatswain,  NYC Municipal Archives.

Between 2002 and 2008, the Archives retrieved 56 “risers” from the annual services. The symbolic pools were discontinued when construction of the new World Trade Center buildings covered the site.   

WTC Riser. WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020.  Photographer: Pearl Boatswain,  NYC Municipal Archives.

WTC Riser. WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020.  Photographer: Pearl Boatswain,  NYC Municipal Archives.

The intrinsic value of the risers lies in the inscriptions written on them by family members. The inscriptions cover a gamut of emotions including sorrow, anger, and love.

Looking ahead to the twentieth anniversary of the attack in 2021, the Archives conceived the documentation project to ensure survival of these inscriptions, some of which are beginning to fade. The Archives will maintain several risers in its permanent collection. Some will be relocated to other institutions.  

Temporary studio set-up at Industry City, WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020.  Photographer: Pearl Boatswain, NYC Municipal Archives.

Temporary studio set-up at Industry City, WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020.  Photographer: Pearl Boatswain, NYC Municipal Archives.

The Archives contracted a professional photographer, Stephen Mallon, for the documentation project. Beginning November 30, he used a medium-format camera to create high-resolution color images. Each riser was photographed in its entirety for documentation and then 12" sections were shot with a one-inch overlap. The sections will be stitched together to recreate a digital replica of each riser.

WTC Riser, WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020. Photographer: Pearl Boatswain,  NYC Municipal Archives.

WTC Riser, WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020. Photographer: Pearl Boatswain,  NYC Municipal Archives.

The planned second phase of the project will be to enter the names, years and inscriptions into a searchable database. Given the large amount of content the Municipal Archives is developing guidelines to “crowd-source” the data entry. This database will then be connected to the unique image which will allow families to find the inscriptions written years earlier.

WTC Riser. WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020.  Photographer: Pearl Boatswain,  NYC Municipal Archives.

WTC Riser. WTC Riser Documentation Project, December 2020.  Photographer: Pearl Boatswain,  NYC Municipal Archives.

The Municipal Archives will coordinate with other partners to complete this monumental project.

Adopt New York’s Past

Earlier this year, the Department of Records & Information Services partnered with the New York Archival Society, its affiliated 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, to promote a new program to help preserve some of the most significant items in the collections of the Municipal Archives and Municipal Library. 

Spearheaded by Lindsey Hobbs, the head of Preservation/Conservation, “Adopt New York’s Past,” offers the opportunity for interested persons to choose from a selection of the city’s maps, volumes, drawings, and documents that are in a state of disrepair and make a contribution to fund the necessary conservation treatments.   

 Here is a sample of items from the collections that have been identified in as suitable for “adoption.”   

Town of Flatbush, Kings County, 1797.  Kings County Map Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives.

Town of Flatbush, Kings County, 1797. Kings County Map Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

This 1797 hand-drawn map of the town of Flatbush and surrounding areas of Brooklyn includes the homes of several early Dutch families that settled in the area, as well as Erasmus Hall (now Erasmus Hall High School) and the Flatbush Reformed Dutch Church, the longest serving religious site in all of New York City. The delicate details of the map, from the church’s spire to the 8-point compass rose, have become discolored over time and embedded with dirt and grime. The cloth-back paper has become brittle and is subject to further damage if the map is handled by researchers. Adopting this item would allow conservators to reduce the acidic discoloration of the paper, remove much of the surface dirt that is obscuring fine details, and prevent further deterioration. Your support will help to extend the life of this important New York record.

Town Proceedings, Town of Flatlands, Kings County, 1799.  Kings County Clerk Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives.

Town Proceedings, Town of Flatlands, Kings County, 1799. Kings County Clerk Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

This volume, which documents the birth of children to enslaved women in the Flatlands area of Brooklyn, is a unique record of New York History. The binding of this volume has been damaged over time, and requires conservation treatment to make it safer for researchers to handle. Repairing the binding and creating a custom enclosure will ensure that the volume is protected both from poor handling and external environmental conditions.

Belevedere Castle, front elevation.  Department of Parks Drawing Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives.

Belevedere Castle, front elevation. Department of Parks Drawing Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

The Archives’ collection includes nearly 2,000 drawings related to the planning and construction of Central Park. This drawing of the front elevation of Belvedere Castle, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, represents an early rendering of the structure and its detailed finial. Over time the drawing has become weakened and discolored by acids due to lignin content in the paper. Conservation treatment would reduce the acid and discoloration in the paper, and a new tissue lining on the reverse would add needed strength.

Brooklyn Bridge Drawings Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives.

Brooklyn Bridge Drawings Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

Among the Archives' nearly 10,000 plans for the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, this drawing depicts specifications for cable-making hardware that would provide support. It is a beautiful example of the artistry that went into every detail of the construction. Conservation treatment would help to remove some of the discoloration and degradation products from the paper, making the paper more stable, safer to handle, and bringing the drawing closer to its original appearance. 

Third Annual Report of the Board of Commissioners of the Central Park, 1859.  NYC Municipal Library.

Third Annual Report of the Board of Commissioners of the Central Park, 1859. NYC Municipal Library.

The Municipal Library’s collection of Annual Reports of Central Park document the early development and use of the park in the mid to late 1800s in vivid detail. Each volume also contains fine lithographic foldout prints throughout. The earliest rare volumes are in need of custom enclosures that will protect the often delicate contents. Adopting one or more of these volumes will support their long term preservation by helping us to build cloth-covered drop-spine boxes to store them in.

Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York, 1850. NYC Municipal Library

Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York, 1850. NYC Municipal Library

One of the earliest illustrated histories of New York City, Valentine's Manuals documented change in the city each year through legislative and historical information as well as original lithographic prints, woodcut illustrations, and maps. Created by David T. Valentine from 1841 – 1866, the 1855 edition is leather-bound with edge tooling details and contains beautiful lithographic prints of Central Park and other fold-out maps. The covers have become detached from the volume from handling over the years, and the spine is deteriorated. Adopting this rare volume would allow it to be rebound and appropriately housed to protect this important piece of New York History.

Bookplate.  Courtesy Catha Rambusch, Rambusch Lighting Co.

Bookplate. Courtesy Catha Rambusch, Rambusch Lighting Co.

Donors will be commemorated by a label with the physical item and a note in the catalog that includes their name and an acknowledgment of the gift. The donor’s name will also appear on New York Archival Society’s website next to a picture of the “adopted” document. (Requests to remain anonymous will also be honored.)  Donors will receive a thank you note with before and after photos of the adopted item once the conservation work is completed.

Please visit the New York Archival Society website Adopt New York City's Past to see more examples and to select one (or more!) of these unique items from the collection in need of conservation care.

Early Mayors Papers – The Letter Press Volumes

Recent blogs have discussed how the increasing importance of the mayor within city government over the course of the 19th century is reflected in the quantity and significance of mayoral records in the Archives. This week we will focus on the “Letterpress Volumes,” an important but often overlooked series related to the mayoral correspondence collections, collectively known as the “Early Mayors Papers.”

In their preface to Gotham, the essential history of New York City, authors Mike Wallace and Edward Burroughs neatly encapsulated the city’s trajectory over the course of the 19th century:

“New York was a place of ever-increasing potency in global affairs, and as the United States evolved from colony to empire, the city migrated from the edge to the center of the world.”

Commercial maritime activities focused on Manhattan’s west side waterfront were the primary engine of the city’s economy in the 19th century.  West Street, Manhattan, ca. 1900.  Department of Docks and Ferries Collection.  NYC Municipal Ar…

Commercial maritime activities focused on Manhattan’s west side waterfront were the primary engine of the city’s economy in the 19th century. West Street, Manhattan, ca. 1900.  Department of Docks and Ferries Collection.  NYC Municipal Archives

New York City has always played a central role in the nation’s economy. In 1850, the port of New York handled more goods and passengers than all others in the country combined.  By the end of the century it had become the busiest port in the world. Similarly, the city’s financial markets and banks were a conduit for capital to finance industrialization and westward expansion across the continental United States. 

John Fitzpatrick, Mayor of New Orleans, to Mayor of New York.  Letter, August 5, 1893.  Mayor Thomas Gilroy Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

John Fitzpatrick, Mayor of New Orleans, to Mayor of New York.  Letter, August 5, 1893.  Mayor Thomas Gilroy Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

During the latter part of the 19th century American railroads and industry experienced a wave of consolidations and vertical integration that resulted in the creation of the modem corporate enterprise. Many of these new businesses found New York City to be a highly desirable location for their national headquarters. Not only did the city provide access to capital funds, but it fostered an economy of legal, managerial, and advertising services. Advances in building technology, particularly the elevator and steel-frame construction, enabled construction of tall office buildings. With abundant steam heat supplied from central power stations, reliable electric and telephone service, plus a growing transit system for the working population, the city quickly become the nation’s premier commercial center.  Massive immigration during the latter part of the century challenged city government as never before in all areas of municipal services including health, housing, sanitation, care for the destitute, transportation, education, and policing.

The growing centrality of the mayor in city government is reflected in the intellectual content of the mayoral records. Mayoral correspondence provides ample evidence of how the office interacted with the business, labor, social, and other constituent communities of the city, and how they used the powers of municipal government—taxation, regulations, expenditures—to shape the destiny of the city and the nation.

Letters from city officials from around the country asked New York’s mayor for advice and information. In 1877, Mayor Smith Ely received communications from Milwaukee, Norfolk, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Detroit, each soliciting answers to questions about municipal administration. The Mayor of Milwaukee wanted to know: “...what [is] the opinion of the people residing on lines of the railways in respect to the use of steam?” In 1893, mayors from Chicago, Portland, and New Orleans similarly wrote to Mayor Thomas Gilroy for advice. John Fitzpatrick, Mayor of New Orleans, inquired “...has your city an asylum or place of refuge (not strictly prisons) where persons are committed...” and, “if the said institution have any industry in connection therewith that make them self-sustaining or nearly so.”

John McCarthy, Superintendent of Streets, City of Chicago to Mayor of the City of New York.  Letter July 17, 1893. Page 1 of 2. Mayor Thomas Gilroy Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

John McCarthy, Superintendent of Streets, City of Chicago to Mayor of the City of New York.  Letter July 17, 1893. Page 1 of 2. Mayor Thomas Gilroy Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

John McCarthy, Superintendent of Streets, City of Chicago to Mayor of the City of New York.  Letter July 17, 1893. Page 2 of 2. Mayor Thomas Gilroy Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

John McCarthy, Superintendent of Streets, City of Chicago to Mayor of the City of New York.  Letter July 17, 1893. Page 2 of 2. Mayor Thomas Gilroy Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Researchers exploring these and other topics in American history will find the Early Mayors Papers supplies endless examples to support their arguments. But eventually they might notice that they are seeing only the incoming correspondence. Where are the replies?

The answer is that copies of letters written in reply were maintained in “Letter Press” volumes. There are 165 volumes in the series, and they date from 1834 to 1945, although all but a handful span 1862 through 1902. The early volumes consist of bound handwritten copies of the correspondence. The later volumes include copies of the correspondence produced by placing the original letter against a water-moistened tissue paper. That’s the good news. The less-than-good news is that they are very fragile; the ink is fast fading and some pages are already totally unreadable. Due to their delicate condition they have never been microfilmed or digitized. 

Forwarding correspondence, Letterpress volume, July 19, 1893. NYC Municipal Archives.

Forwarding correspondence, Letterpress volume, July 19, 1893. NYC Municipal Archives.

Mayor Thomas Gilroy’s communication regarding prevention of a cholera epidemic in New York City.  Letterpress volume, March 30, 1893. NYC Municipal Archives.

Mayor Thomas Gilroy’s communication regarding prevention of a cholera epidemic in New York City.  Letterpress volume, March 30, 1893. NYC Municipal Archives.

City archivists and conservators are investigating appropriate preservation and reformatting measures, but in the meantime the series will be made available to researchers, whenever possible. Together with the incoming mayoral correspondence the letter press volumes responses provide a more complete picture of the role the City and its Mayor played in leading innovation during a critical period of the nation’s history.

How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey

Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia made great use of WNYC radio to educate and inform his constituents. He is probably best known for reading the comics on the radio during the newspaper deliverymen’s strike in July 1945. But later that year, in another WNYC radio broadcast, he addressed a common problem faced by New Yorkers: how to cook a large turkey in a small apartment oven.

New York City’s Earliest Mayors

New York City has a mayor-centric form of government. But it did not start out that way. In 1665, shortly after the English assumed control of the colony from the Dutch, governor Richard Nicolls appointed Thomas Willett as the first New York City mayor. 

Old City Hall, Wall Street.  Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York, D. T. Valentine.  1847. NYC Municipal Library.

Old City Hall, Wall Street. Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York, D. T. Valentine. 1847. NYC Municipal Library.

Over the next 150 years, the colonial governor, and then the governor of New York State, annually appointed the mayor. The early mayors sat on the Common Council and had limited powers. Beginning in 1820, the Common Council elected the mayors. In 1830, the mayor was given the power to veto decisions of the Council, of which he was no longer a member. The first direct election of the mayor took place in 1834 when Cornelius Van Wyck Lawrence defeated Gulian Verplanck, both descendants of Dutch colonists. 

As the city grew in population and complexity through the 19th century, so too did the relative importance of the mayoralty. The Municipal Archives’ mayoral papers collection mirrors this trajectory of the executive office in city government. Although the office of mayor dates to 1665, the first collection of mayoral papers consists of exactly two thin folders of documents from the office of Mayor Philip Hone (1826-27). By contrast, the Common Council papers from that same time period totals more than 13 cubic feet. 

Request for Hand Cart License, by William Madden, submitted to Mayor Philip Hone, May 20, 1826. Mayor Philip Hone Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Application to Mayor Hone by James Maurice for appointment as Auctioneer for the City and County of New York, April 18, 1825. Mayor Philip Hone Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Mayoral collections from 1827 through 1848 similarly contain one or two folders of documents. One exception is Mayor Aaron Clark (1837-38). During his mayoralty the city experienced a yellow fever outbreak and his collection includes four folders of documents related to quarantining vessels landing in New York harbor.

Quarantine Report re: Schooner Exchange of N.Y., arriving from the City of San Domingo, on July 1st, 1837. Mayor Aaron Clark Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.  

Quarantine Report re: Schooner Mary Ann, arriving from Key West, on July 3rd, 1837.  Mayor Aaron Clark Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The collection of Mayor Caleb S. Woodhull, 1849-1851, although still miniscule (.25 cubic feet) in comparison to subsequent mayoral office holders, consists of eleven folders pertaining to the Commissioner of Emigration: Quarantine – Reports of Passengers, and two other folders related to emigrant boarding houses and runners.

Grant of License to Act as Emigrant Runner, to Charles Frederick Stiernfeld, by Mayor Caleb Woodhull, July 29, 1850. Mayor Caleb S. Woodhull Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Major public works such as the Croton Aqueduct (opened in 1842), the Central Park (opened in 1859), and the Brooklyn Bridge (open in 1883), together with the need to maintain these and related infrastructure—water and sewer lines, utilities, streets, parks, bridges, docks, etc. —led to the establishment of municipal departments. Recurring epidemics and the demand to protect public health led to creation of the Department of Health in 1866. The Department of Buildings, also established in 1866, came in response to advances in building technology that required regulations and oversight. The Department of Public Charities and Correction dates to 1860. And the growing population required more protective services—police and fire. This ever-increasing municipal work force and resulting opportunities for patronage enhanced the power executive office. 

Bridge No. VII, Central Park, Presentation Drawing, 1859. Department of Parks Drawings Collection,  NYC Municipal Archives.

Bridge No. VII, Central Park, Presentation Drawing, 1859. Department of Parks Drawings Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Similarly, the volume and intellectual content of the mayoral collections grew during this period.  Mayor William Havemeyer (1873-74) and Mayor William H. Wickham (1875-76) both generated 12 cubic feet of records; the Abram S. Hewitt (1887-88) collection is 19 cubic feet and Mayor Hugh J. Grant (1889-92) tops out at 31 cubic feet. 

In theory, consolidation of the Greater City of New York in 1898 and the vast increase in the jurisdiction of the municipality should have cemented the mayor’s power. Although the mayor became the symbolic head of government, the newly created Offices of the Borough Presidents circumscribed the executive’s ability to control the city’s payroll. Other powers were shared with a strengthened Board of Estimate. But beginning with the mayoralty of Fiorello LaGuardia (1934-45), the powers of the executive began to overtake the other branches and to accrue the powers it enjoys until the present day.

Future blogs will examine the role of the mayor and how the Municipal Archives’ mayoral collections—each unique—reflect the time period and the individual who held the office.  

Proclamation by Mayor Opdyke, November 21, 1863. 

But before we leave our 19th century mayors, we will give one mayor, George Opdyke (1862-64), a special shout-out in recognition of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation fixing the national observation of Thanksgiving on the final Thursday in November, a move he hoped would help “heal the wounds of the nation.” In New York City, Mayor Opdyke issued his own Proclamation acknowledging the President’s designation of Thursday the 26th as a “…day of Thanksgiving and Prayer” and adding “…it becomes the duty of every good citizen to refrain from all secular employment on that day, and to devote it to appropriate religious exercises.” 

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  Look for our next blog on December 4.

The Eternal Light Flagstaff in Madison Square Park

On Wednesday, November 11, 2020, New Yorkers observed Veterans Day. Until 1954, the annual November 11th observance had been known as “Armistice Day” commemorating the day and hour World War 1 hostilities ceased: the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. 

Celebrating the end of World War I on the steps of City Hall, November 18, 1918.  Grover Whalen Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Celebrating the end of World War I on the steps of City Hall, November 18, 1918.  Grover Whalen Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11th as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. In 1926, the U.S. Congress resolved that “…the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.” Armistice Day became a federal holiday by an Act of Congress in 1938.  In 1954, Congress changed the holiday to “Veterans Day” in order to account for all veterans in all wars.

The eternal light on the top of the flagstaff was illuminated on Armistice Day, November 11, 1923, and the monument dedicated the following spring on June 7, 1924.  Flagstaff Memorial Monument, Madison Square Park, n.d. Art Commission Coll…

The eternal light on the top of the flagstaff was illuminated on Armistice Day, November 11, 1923, and the monument dedicated the following spring on June 7, 1924.  Flagstaff Memorial Monument, Madison Square Park, n.d. Art Commission Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

In our blog commemorating Veterans Day last November [link], writer Stuart Marques explored the fascinating history of New York City’s “….elaborate welcome home events for our soldiers and the generals who led them, and often riotous celebrations.” This year we will examine a quieter tribute, the Eternal Light Flagstaff memorial monument. Located in Manhattan’s Madison Square Park, the memorial honors the United States Army soldiers and Navy sailors who fought in World War I. 

Grover Whalen, April 4, 1924.  Department of Bridges, Plant & Structures Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Grover Whalen, April 4, 1924.  Department of Bridges, Plant & Structures Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Like most New York City celebratory events of that era, Grover Whalen orchestrated the “Illumination Day” activities. Appointed by Mayor Hylan as the city’s official greeter in 1919, Grover Whalen had the idea to throw ticker-tape receptions for returning World War I soldiers and to continue the practice for distinguished guests over the next three decades. Famous for his top hat and the carnation he always wore in his lapel, Whalen presided over more than 1,000 public events, and organized more than 150 ticker-tape parades before he retired in 1953.

Department store magnate Rodman Wanamaker, a confidante and ally of Whalen, had donated the $25,000 cost of the flagstaff. On Illumination Day Wanamaker set alight the star on the flagstaff, and in brief remarks, said “. . .We are gathered here today to thoughtfully recall the valiant deeds of those who make it possible that our nation might be saved. We are here in memory of those who will never be here, but whose sacrifice has made possible our country’s preservation.”

Plan of Madison Square showing location of flag pole with eternal light.  Blueprint, 1924.  Grover Whalen Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Plan of Madison Square showing location of flag pole with eternal light.  Blueprint, 1924.  Grover Whalen Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

After the ceremony, the New York Times reported that Wilson and Randolph Hearst, the 7-year-old twin sons of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, distributed cigarettes to the disabled soldiers, who later rode in trucks in the Armistice Day parade up to the Central Park mall.

The Municipal Archives’ collections of Whalen materials provides ample documentary evidence of Whalen’s organizational skills. No detail was too small. The papers in his collection related to the Eternal light illumination on November 11, 1923 are typically extensive.

Confirming arrangements for the November 11, 1923, illumination event.  Grover Whalen Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Confirming arrangements for the November 11, 1923, illumination event.  Grover Whalen Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Architect Thomas Hastings (1860-1929), of the firm Carrere and Hastings, designed the monument. Paul Wayland Bartlett (1865-1925), a student of French master sculptor Auguste Rodin, sculpted the decorative bronze cap at the base of the flagstaff including garlands and rams heads. The star-shaped luminaire at the top of the pole is intended to be lit at all times as an eternal tribute to those who paid the supreme sacrifice. 

According to the Department of Parks and Recreation, the original wooden flagstaff, towering 125-feet tall, was said to be hewn from a century-old tree culled from “the virgin forests of Oregon and transported over the Rocky Mountains.” The monument has been repaired and upgraded on several occasions. In 1976, the original wooden flagstaff was replaced with a metal mast. In 2017, the Madison Square Park Conservancy refurbished the luminaire, and in 2018 removed the fences that had confined the monument and redesigned the surrounding plaza. The Eternal Light continues to serve as the site where the annual citywide official Veterans Day ceremony takes place and the Veterans Day parade embarks up Fifth Avenue.

Mayor Robert Wagner (center) presided over the annual ceremony at the memorial flagstaff in Madison Square Park, on November 11, 1965.  Official Mayors Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives. 

Mayor Robert Wagner (center) presided over the annual ceremony at the memorial flagstaff in Madison Square Park, on November 11, 1965.  Official Mayors Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives. 

Annual ceremony at the memorial flagstaff, Madison Square Park, November 11, 1965.  Official Mayors Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives. 

Annual ceremony at the memorial flagstaff, Madison Square Park, November 11, 1965.  Official Mayors Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.