A Stunning Exploration of New York's Most Enchanting Fountains New York City's fountains are more than just decorative features - they are historical landmarks, cultural icons, and dynamic works of art that shape the city's landscape. In Fabulous Fountains of New York, award-winning author and native New Yorker Stephanie Azzarone takes readers on a captivating journey through the artistry, history, and hidden stories behind these remarkable waterworks. From the grandeur of Central Park's Bethesda Fountain to the sleek modern cascades of the Unisphere in Queens, this beautifully illustrated book showcases more than fifty fountains across all five boroughs. Alongside these celebrated landmarks, Azzarone uncovers lesser-known gems, such as Triumph of the Human Spirit and the long-forgotten temperance fountains, revealing how they reflect the city's evolving cultural and political landscape. With vivid storytelling, she traces the work of the architects and artists who shaped these fountains, exploring the historical events they commemorate and the scandals, controversies, and tragedies that surround them. Whether serving as refreshing retreats on hot summer days, symbols of civic pride, or gathering places for contemplation and protest, New York's fountains have played a vital role in the city's life. Accompanied by breathtaking photography by Robert F. Rodriguez, Fabulous Fountains of New York captures the beauty and movement of these dynamic waterworks - from classical bronze and stone sculptures to contemporary interactive installations. Perfect for history buffs, architecture enthusiasts, and urban explorers, this book invites readers to rediscover New York through its most mesmerizing fountains.
Stephanie Azzarone (Author) Stephanie Azzarone is the author of the award-winning Heaven on the Hudson: Mansions, Monuments, and Marvels of Riverside Park (Fordham University Press, 2022). A former journalist (freelancer for The New York Times and New York magazine, among others), she also headed a Manhattan public relations agency. Robert F. Rodriguez (Photographs By) Formerly a Photo Editor for The Daily Mail and Gannet Newspapers, Robert F. Rodriguez has more than 40 years of experience photographing New York City and its environs and editing the photos of others.
Introduction xiii MANHATTAN DOWNTOWN (SOUTH OF 34TH STREET) Bosque 5 New York City Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza 7 Wireless Operators Memorial 10 Bowling Green 12 Sunken Garden 15 World Trade Center 9/11 Reflecting Absence Memorial Pools 17 Silverstein Plaza 21 City Hall Park / Jacob Wrey Mould 22 Triumph of the Human Spirit 26 Lily Pond 28 Temperance 29 Slocum Disaster Memorial 31 Washington Square Park 34 Jackson Square 37 James / Union Square 39 Madison Square 41 MIDTOWN (34TH STREET TO 59TH STREET) Bella Abzug Park 45 Truth and Beauty 47 Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial 51 Midtown Waterfalls 54 McGraw Hill 54 Greenacre Park 54 Paley Park 56 Avenue of the Americas 57 Lilholts Pooley Pool / Christmas Balls 57 Fountain Wall 58 1271 Avenue of the Americas 58 1301 Avenue of the Americas 59 1345 Avenue of the Americas 59 Four Seasons 60 Channel Gardens 62 Prometheus 64 Seagram Building 67 Pulitzer 69 Columbus Circle 72 USS Maine National Monument 75 59th Street Horse Troughs 78 Frederic J. De Peyster 78 Mrs. Henry C. Russell 78 Edith Bowdoin 79 Evangeline Blashfield 79 UPTOWN (NORTH OF 59TH STREET) Revson 83 Bethesda / Angel of the Waters 86 Cherry Hill 90 Robert Ray Hamilton 92 Rotunda 95 Metropolitan Museum of Art 97 Firemen's Memorial 99 Conservatory Center Garden 101 Burnett 103 Untermyer / Three Dancing Maidens 105 Straus Memorial / Memory 107 Frederick Douglass Memorial 110 Peace 113 Woman's Health Protective Association 115 Hooper 117 THE BRONX Macombs Dam Park 121 Heinrich Heine / Lorelei 123 Rockefeller/Italian 125 Lillian Goldman Fountain of Life 128 Metropolitan Oval / Fantasia 131 BROOKLYN Columbus Park 137 Bailey 140 Brooklyn Botanic Garden 143 Osborne Garden 143 Lily Pool Terrace 143 Jenkins 143 Lion's Head 144 Rose Arc Pool 144 Jane and David Walentas 145 Civic Virtue Triumphant over Unrighteousness 147 Domino Park 150 QUEENS Unisphere 155 Fountain of the Fairs Mist Garden 158 STATEN ISLAND Fountain of the Dolphins 163 Neptune 165 Notes 167 Acknowledgments 171 Index 173
"Fabulous Fountains of New York is an instant classic. As a fabulous, complete compendium of the fascinating individual histories of each of these unique urban aquatic monuments, it is a valuable source for historians, academics, civic designers, curious NYers, NYC aspirers and water fetishists. I was delighted to learn about the fabulous fountain (and its antecedents) in my own park!" - Skip Blumberg, Friends of City Hall Park, documentary filmmaker, and 3rd generation NYer "With meticulous research and engaging text, author Stephanie Azzarone has presented her readers with a comprehensive and very readable view of one of New York City's treasures, its fountains. The accompanying photographs entice us to look further. Anyone who has encountered a flowing fountain in New York City will understand Azzarone's fascination. This book is a lovely gift to New Yorkers and to the history of New York City." - Joan Adler, Executive Director, Straus Historical Society "In Fabulous Fountains of New York, Stephanie Azzarone opens a floodgate of long-obscured history of the scores of fountains that bring soothing sounds and beauty to an often harsh urban landscape. Many of these fountains are grand works of architecture and hydraulics gracing city parks and corporate plazas, but others have lovely, intimate stories or carry poignant memories. All make a more gracious New York City, as thoroughly documented by Azzarone and beautifully photographed by Robert Rodriguez." - Adrian Benepe, President, Brooklyn Botanic Garden "Fabulous Fountains of New York restores to public knowledge a fascinating selection of urban amenities - some famous, some all but forgotten - from all around New York City." - Robert W. Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian "A joyful and informative tribute to the city's waterworks . . . an enamoring and enthusiastic ode to one small slice of the Big Apple." - Publishers Weekly
