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Central Park: A Lasting Legacy to Frederick Law Olmsted and Democracy

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Making Connections

Central Park was first landscaped public park in the United States. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the “Father of Landscape Architecture,” and Calvert Vaux, Central Park was completed in 1876. At 843 acres, Central Park is the most visited urban park in the US. With Central Park, Olmsted and Vaux changed how Americans thought about public green spaces. Olmsted believed that it was the duty of a democratic society to ensure that all people have access to natural beauty and that parks should provide public access to everyone.

You will view and analyze eight photographs of people in Central Park engaged in a variety of activities. Look at each document below – click “View Primary Source Details” to see it more closely. Answer the following questions in the response box that follows each photograph.

  • What people do you see in the photograph?
  • What activities do you see in the photograph?
  • What objects do you see in the photograph?
  • What season does the photograph take place?
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To the extent possible under law, National Archives Foundation has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to “Central Park: A Lasting Legacy to Frederick Law Olmsted and Democracy”