Paul J. Smith Photographs of New York City Parades and Events
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
This collection consists of 358 color photographs taken by arts administrator, curator and artist Paul J. Smith (1931-2020). The photos document various parades and events that took place in New York City between 1996 and 2016.
Biographical / Historical
Paul J. Smith (September 8, 1931 – April 26, 2020) was an arts administrator, curator, artist, and photographer based in New York City. Born in Batavia, NY, in 1931, Smith worked in the art, craft, and design fields from the early 1950s onward. He was closely associated with the 20th century studio craft movement in the United States. Smith joined the staff of the American Craftsmen's Council (ACC, now the American Craft Council) in 1957, and in 1963 was appointed Director of the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in NYC, a position he held for the next 25 years. (The museum was later renamed the American Craft Museum, and it is now known as the Museum of Arts and Design.) In September 1987, Smith assumed the title of director emeritus at the museum and continued to work as an independent curator and consultant for museums, arts organizations, and collectors. Smith died in 2020 in New York City.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by subject into 12 series. Subject titles and dates are taken from information provided by the donor. Item numbers were assigned to photographs during processing. Included ephemera is not numbered.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of 358 color photographs taken by arts administrator, curator, and artist Paul J. Smith (1931-2020). The photos document various parades and events that took place in New York City between 1996 and 2016. Included are images of the Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue, the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn, and the Halloween Dog Parade in Tompkins Square Park. There are also photos of Wigstock, the Howl! Festival, a Save Our Gardens event, the Gates art installation in Central Park, and Santa Con, as well as photos of tattoos and art in Coney Island. A small amount of ephemera can be found in the collection, including printouts of websites.
Subjects
Genres
Topics
Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New York Historical, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org.
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: Paul J. Smith Photographs of New York City Parades and Events, PR 484, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New York Historical.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of the Estate of Paul J. Smith, 2023.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Archivist Marybeth Kavanagh processed this collection in July 2026.
Repository
Series I: Easter Parade, Fifth Avenue, 2004-2016, inclusive
Easter Parade (1 of 2), 2004-2005
Scope and Contents
Items 1-11
Easter Parade (2 of 2), 2004-2005
Scope and Contents
Items 12-26
Easter Parade, 2007-2008, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Items 27-38
Easter Parade, 2010
Scope and Contents
Items 39-42
Easter Parade, 2011
Scope and Contents
Items 43-51
Easter Parade, 2012-2013, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Items 52-65
Easter Parade, 2014
Scope and Contents
Items 66-71
Easter Parade, 2015-2016, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Items 72-84
Series II: The Gates art installation, Central Park, 2005
Scope and Contents
The Gates was a site-specific work of art created by artists Christo (1935-2020) and Jeanne-Claude (1935-2009).
The Gates (1 of 3), 2005
Scope and Contents
Items 85-96
The Gates (2 of 3), 2005
Scope and Contents
Items 97-108
The Gates (3 of 3), 2005
Scope and Contents
Items 109-120
The Gates (ephemera), 2005
Series III: Halloween Dog Parade, Tompkins Square Park, 2009-2012, inclusive
Halloween Dog Parade, 2009
Scope and Contents
Items 121-128
Halloween Dog Parade, 2010
Scope and Contents
Items 129-139
Halloween Dog Parade, 2011-2012
Scope and Contents
Items 153-160
Halloween Dog Parade contact sheets, 2012
Scope and Contents
3 contact sheets
Series IV: Howl! Festival, Tompkins Square Park, 2004-2005, inclusive
Howl! Festival, 2004, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Items 161-176
Howl! Festival ephemera, 2005
Series V: Mermaid Parade, Coney Island, 2004-2014, inclusive
Mermaid Parade (1 of 2), 2004
Scope and Contents
Items 177-195
Mermaid Parade (2 of 2), 2004
Scope and Contents
Items 196-208
Mermaid Parade, 2005
Scope and Contents
Items 209-217
Mermaid Parade, 2007
Scope and Contents
Items 218-223
Mermaid Parade, 2010
Scope and Contents
Items 224-237
Mermaid Parade, 2012
Scope and Contents
Items 238-257
Series VI: Santa Con, Manhattan, 2012
Santa Con, 2012
Scope and Contents
Items 258-264
Series VII: Save Our Gardens, Lower East Side, 2005
Save Our Gardens, 2005
Scope and Contents
Items 265-273
Series VIII: Tattoos and Art, Coney Island, 2005, undated
Art, 2005
Scope and Contents
Items 274-279
Tattoos, undated
Scope and Contents
Items 280-288
Series IX: Waterfall Sculpture, East River, undated
Waterfall Sculpture, undated
Scope and Contents
Items 289-290
Series X: West Indian Day Parade, Brooklyn, circa 2008
West Indian Day Parade (1 of 4), 2008
Scope and Contents
Items 291-300
West Indian Day Parade (2 of 4), 2008
Scope and Contents
Items 301-310
West Indian Day Parade (3 of 4), 2008
Scope and Contents
Items 311-322
West Indian Day Parade (4 of 4), 2008
Scope and Contents
Items 323-334
Series XI: Wigstock, Tompkins Square Park, 1996-1997, inclusive
Wigstock, 1996-1997, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Items 335-345
Series XII: Miscellaneous, undated
Miscellaneous People and Places, undated
Scope and Contents
Items 346-358