Lindsay's legacy of historic preservation on view at New York museum

New York City's 103rd mayor, John V. Lindsay, in a 1966 photo. (Library of Congress)

The Museum of the City of New York's fascinating retrospective, "America's Mayor: John V. Lindsay and the Reinvention of New York," reviews our 103rd mayor's legacy of historic preservation amid the tumultuous political landscape of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

At that time, New York City was thought to be ungovernable: widespread crime, continuous strikes by city workers and growing social unrest fueled the image of New York as an out-of-control urban nightmare. (Ironically, Lindsay's effort to convince Hollywood to film movies in New York contributed to that view, while also resulting in groundbreaking films like Midnight Cowboy, The Godfather and The French Connection. Clips are included in the exhibit.) Lindsay's plan was to prove critics wrong on every front. He aimed to make the city not just survivable, but livable as well.

Long before the phrase "user friendly" came into vogue, Lindsay seized on the idea that urban planning and design could make the city function better while giving residents as sense of pride in their environment. One of Lindsay's great ideas, described in the exhibit, was to implement a plan of historic preservation and save New York's older buildings by finding alternate uses for them. Working with historic preservation activists, his administration saved the 1877 Jefferson Market Courthouse at 6th Avenue and West 10th Street from demolition by retrofitting it as a branch of the New York Public Library. The 1854 Astor Library in the East Village, founded by philanthropist John Jacob Astor, lay vacant until the Lindsay administration redesigned it as the Public Theater. Venice-born architect Giorgio Cavaglieri led both projects, which are on the National Register of Historic Places.

In keeping with Lindsay's focus on art and design, the Museum of the City of New York's exhibit is a densely-packed but visually thrilling romp through late 1960s and early 1970s graphic themes. The exhibit's titles -- Filmmaking, Consumer Affairs, Safety, et cetera -- are styled in the now-classic New York City subway font, which was also implemented during Lindsay's tenure. Even Lindsay's first campaign posters, rich with vintage portraits of the handsome mayor-to-be and slogans against a black field, display a striking, bold style that commands attention.

"America's Mayor: John V. Lindsay and the Reinvention of New York" is on display through October 3, 2010.