Virtual Tour: Post-War Park Avenue On Film

In the popular imagination, Park Avenue conjures a series of glamorous images. To the historian, Park Avenue embodies several stages of New York City’s architectural development. The transformation of Midtown Manhattan’s Park Avenue from a Beaux Arts boulevard of masonry-clad apartments and hotels into the premier office district of Modernist glass towers is captured in a number of films produced following the Second World War.

Join architectural historian and AIA member John Kriskiewicz for an in-dpeth analysis of scenes and stills from four films, shot on location, which dramatically chronicle the post-war architectural transformation of Park Avenue.

Films include Mark Hellinger’s ground-breaking film noir, The Naked City (1948), Jean Negulesco’s lush melodrama, The Best of Everything (1959), Blake Edward’s poignant Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and David Swift’s comedic musical parody, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967). For these four directors, the very newness of the buildings—the process of architectural transformation of this swath of Midtown Manhattan itself—became a visual shorthand to convey personal aspiration, success, intrigue, drama, and romance.

This event is offered on Zoom. You will receive a join link for each session after registering.