Aanlegsteiger in Central Park, New York 1868 - 1890

Christian Petersen made this stereoscopic image of a boat landing at the lake in Central Park, New York. As a stereo card, it was likely mass-produced and sold as a souvenir or a form of accessible entertainment, revealing much about leisure, identity, and access in this period. Consider the figures in the image. Are they visitors or workers? Central Park was designed as a democratic space, open to all, yet its accessibility was often mediated by class and race. The figures in the image appear to be white women, likely middle or upper class, enjoying a leisurely activity. But who is absent from this picture? Where are the working-class people who maintained the park, or the African Americans excluded from many of its amenities? This image is a poignant reminder that even spaces intended for public use often reflect and reinforce existing social hierarchies. It invites us to reflect on who has access to leisure and how these spaces shape our understanding of belonging and identity.