Brooklyn Bridge
1867-1883
Architects: John A. Roebling, Washington A. and Emily Roebling
(Photo Credit: Laura Napier)

Begrisch Hall at Bronx Community College 1956-1961
Architect: Marcel Breuer & Associates
(Photo Credit: Peter Wohlsen)

New School University
(Formerly The New School for Social Research)
First Floor Interior 1930-31; restored, 1992
Manhattan
Architect: Joseph Urban
Restoration: Prentice, Chan & Ohlhausen
(Photo Credit: Kristin Holcomb)

The Landmarks of New York
23 September to 24 October 2006

The U.S. Consulate General for Hong Kong and Macau and the University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong are pleased to present a photographic exhibition to highlight the architectural heritage of New York City. The exhibition eatures over 80 black and white photographs of the city's most-loved objects, buildings and sites from the 17th to 20th century. The collection was assembled in 2005 for a world tour in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the New York Landmarks Preservation Law.

Each photograph on display is accompanied by captions written by Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, the curator of the exhibition, and commissioner of the New York Preservation Commission for 17 years. Dr. Diamonstein-Spielvogel was influential in acquiring landmark status for many of the city's buildings, sites and objects.

The City of New York's Landmarks Preservation Law was enacted on April 19, 1965. The event, itself an important milestone in the global heritage conservation movement was, in Dr. Diamonstein-Spielvogel's words:

...the result of the increasing loss of New York's iconic historic, architectural and cultural monuments beginning with the razing of Pennsylvania Station (1963).

Over the past 41 years, the New York Landmark Preservation Commission has not only put important private and public buildings such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the former residence of John Coltrane on the list of protected landmarks under the Law, it also protects parks, individual trees, street furniture, bridges and even entire districts from uncontrolled intervention. Within the five boroughs that make up the City of New York, there are now over 1,100 landmarks on the protection list. The photographs in the exhibition are a selection of the most renowned examples of buildings, interiors and objects declared by the commission between 1965 and early 2005.

St. Patrick's Cathedral
1858-1888
Manhattan
Architects: Cathedral, rectory, and cardinal's residence: James Renwick, Jr.; Lady chapel: Charles T. Mathews (Photo Credit: Michael Stewart)