The Roslyn Landmark Society will host author and preservationist Anthony C. Wood on Friday, July 18, at the Bryant Library, where he will discuss his latest book, “Servant of Beauty: Landmarks, Secret Love, and the Unimagined Life of an Unsung New York Hero.”
The event will feature a moderated conversation between Wood and Rosanna Wolff, trustee of the Roslyn Landmark Society, focusing on the life and legacy of Albert S. Bard, a little-known but pivotal figure in New York City’s historic preservation movement, and the broader issues surrounding the protection of the city’s historic landmarks.
“Servant of Beauty” chronicles the intertwined personal and public passions of Bard (1866–1963), a civic activist whose four decades of advocacy led to the passage of New York City’s Landmarks Law in 1965. The law, enacted two years after Bard’s death, now protects over 37,000 buildings, primarily in historic neighborhoods.
Bard’s lesser-known personal story, including a long-hidden romantic relationship and a role in a Cold War spy scandal, is revealed for the first time in Wood’s biography.
Wood is a respected figure in the preservation world. He is the author of “Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect a City’s Landmarks” and has held leadership roles at the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Municipal Art Society, and The J.M. Kaplan Fund. He currently serves as executive director of the Ittleson Foundation and has taught preservation at Columbia University for more than two decades.
His many honors include the Fine Arts Federation’s Bronze Medal and the Historic Districts Council’s Landmarks Lion Award.
The July 18 event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit their website, roslynlandmarks.org.
