Terrence J. Allen Prospect Park Collection

Prospect Park is a 585 acre park in the heart of Brooklyn. It was designed by famed landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who had previously designed Manhattan's Central Park. Construction of the park began in 1866 and was mostly completed by 1875. Created to serve all classes of Brooklyn – at that point still an independent city and one of the largest in the country – the park was deliberately constructed to resemble a natural landscape, with a small creek, a lake, wooded areas, and long open meadows. Buildings in the park were mainly rustic shelters built of wood to complement the pastoral atmosphere.

The park evolved over the years, and as the 19th century drew to a close many classical design elements were added to the landscape. The architecture firm of McKim, Mead, and White was hired to redesign the entrances around the park's perimeter; they installed the classical pedestals, columns, and statuary that stand at Grand Army Plaza, the Third Street entrance, Bartel-Pritchard Circle, and Park Circle. A number of new buildings were also erected around the turn of the century, including the Boat House and the Peristyle.

Under the administration of city parks commissioner Robert Moses in the mid-twentieth century, the park was again renovated to emphasize physical recreation over the passive enjoyment of natural vistas. Moses built a new zoo, bandshell, and several playgrounds around the park's perimeter. A period of decline followed, with original buildings falling into disuse and decay even as the park celebrated its centennial year in 1966. Restoration efforts were mounted in the 1980s, including the founding of the Prospect Park Alliance, a non-profit organization that works with the City of New York to maintain and restore the park grounds.

When taken in its totality, the Terrence J. Allen Prospect Park collection, the bulk of which dates from 1895 to 1915, forms a nearly complete picture of the park in its earliest incarnation, before cycles of dilapidation and redevelopment altered the landscape. Many of the landmarks represented in the postcard collection, like the Mount Prospect water tower, the Dairy, and Mount Vernon have been replaced or are gone completely.