Central Park Zoo

250px Central Park Zoo logo
Central area of the Central Park Zoo
Date opened	1864 (menagerie); 1934 (zoo); August 8, 1988 (renovated)
Location	Central Park, New York City, New York, USA
Coordinates	40°46′4″N 73°58′18″W / 40.76778°N 73.97167°W / 40.76778; -73.97167Coordinates: 40°46′4″N 73°58′18″W / 40.76778°N 73.97167°W / 40.76778; -73.97167
Land area	6.5 acres (2.6 ha)
Memberships	AZA[1]
Website	www.centralparkzoo.com

The Central Park Zoo is a small 6.5-acre (2.6 ha) zoo located on Central Park in New York City. It is part of an integrated system of four zoos and the New York Aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

The zoo began in the 1860s as a menagerie, making it the first official zoo to open in New York. The zoo was modified in 1934, with the addition of many new buildings ranged in a quadrangle around the sea lion pool. (The zoo from this era has been commonly known as the "1934 Zoo" or "Robert Moses Zoo".) Finally, the zoo was renovated in the mid-1980s and reopened in 1988, replacing the old-fashioned cages with naturalistic environments.

Areas[link]

Trellised, vine-clad, glass-roofed pergolas link the three major exhibit areas—tropic, temperate and polar— housed in discreet new buildings of brick trimmed with granite, masked by vines. The zoo is home to an indoor rainforest, a leafcutter ant colony, and a chilled penguin house and polar bear pool. It also coordinates breeding programs for some endangered species: tamarin monkeys, Wyoming toads, thick-billed parrots and red pandas. There are also fruit bats in the rainforest and an anteater exhibit. In June 2009, a snow leopard exhibit was opened, making it one of the few zoos to present this rare species to the public.^{[citation needed]}. The gates of the Children's Zoo by Paul Manship are a notable feature retained from the earlier layout.

History[link]

The zoo was not part of the original "Greensward" design for Central Park created by Olmsted and Vaux, but a Central Park menagerie near New York's arsenal, on the edge of Central Park located at Fifth Avenue facing East 64th Street, spontaneously evolved in 1859 from gifts of exotic pets and other animals informally given to the Park; the original animals on display included a bear and some swans. In 1864, a formal zoo received charter confirmation from New York's assembly, making it the United States's second publicly owned zoo, after the Philadelphia Zoo, which was founded in 1859.^[2] The new zoo was given permanent quarters behind the Arsenal building in 1875.^[3]

In the early 1900s Bill Snyder was hired and he purchased Hattie, the elephant in 1904.^[4] Hattie died in 1922.^[5]

In 1934, to properly house the zoo, neo-Georgian brick and limestone zoo buildings ranged in a quadrangle round the sea lion pool were designed by Aymar Embury II, architect for the Triborough Bridge and the Henry Hudson Bridge (WPA Guide). The famous sea lion pool itself was originally designed by Charles Schmieder. For its day the sea lion pool was considered advanced because the architect actually studied the habits of sea lions and incorporated this knowledge into the design.

By 1980, the zoo, like Central Park itself, was sadly dilapidated; in that year, responsibility for its management was assumed by the New York Zoological Society which is now the Wildlife Conservation Society. The zoo was closed in the winter of 1983, and demolition began. The redesign of 1983–88 was executed by the architectural firm of Kevin Roche, Dinkeloo. The facility's old-fashioned menagerie cages were abandoned for more natural exhibits. The zoo reopened to the public on August 8, 1988.^[6][7] The newly renovated zoo had originally been planned to reopen in 1985 at a cost of $14 million; however, the project saw troubled times that delayed the opening for three years.

Some of the original buildings, with their low-relief limestone panels of animals, were reused in the redesigning, though the cramped outdoor cages were demolished. Most of the large animals were rehoused in larger, more natural spaces at the Bronx Zoo. The central feature of the original zoo, ranged round the sea lion pool, was retained and the pool redesigned. Since its modernization, the Central Park Zoo, originally available to parkgoers free of charge, charges admission to its enclosed precincts. The Dancing Crane Cafe, however, is still accessible from Central Park itself.

The zoo in popular culture[link]

The Central Park Zoo was featured in the children's book Mr. Popper's Penguins (1938) and in J.D. Salinger's classic novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951). It was also mentioned in Truman Capote's novella Summer Crossing, published in 2005. The 1967 Simon and Garfunkel song At the Zoo used Central Park Zoo as its principal setting. In 1991, Paul Simon released a children's book entitled At the Zoo that combines the lyrics of the song with very detailed illustrations.

The zoo was also featured in the animated films Madagascar (2005), The Wild (2006) and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) as well as in the animated series The Penguins of Madagascar. The 2011 live-action film Mr. Popper's Penguins also featured Central Park Zoo as well as another Central Park icon, the Tavern on the Green.

See also[link]

• The New York Zoo hoax

Notes[link]

Further reading[link]

• WPA Guide to New York City 1939, reprinted 1982, p 352
• Roy Rosenzweig and Elizabeth Blackmar, The Park and the People 1992
• Clinton H. Keeling, Skyscrapers and Sealions. Clam Publications, Guildford (Surrey), 2002.
• Joan Scheier, The Central Park Zoo. Arcadia Publishing, Portsmouth (New Hampshire), 2002.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Central Park Zoo

• Central Park Zoo Website
• Images of America: The Central Park Zoo, photographs and text
• The NY City zoos
• Kevin Roche, John Dinkeloo and Associates: Central Park Zoo: photographs at time of completion

v t e Features of Central Park Features The Arsenal • Belvedere Castle • Bethesda Terrace • The Blockhouse • Bridges • Central Park Mall • Cleopatra's Needle • Conservatory Garden • Conservatory Water • Delacorte Theater • Diana Ross Playground  • Dipway Arch  • Gapstow Bridge  • Great Lawn • Harlem Meer • Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir • King Jagiello Monument  • The Lake • Lasker Rink • Marionette Theatre • Medical Unit  • The Pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary  • The Ramble • Rat Rock • Sculptures • Seneca Village • Strawberry Fields • SummerStage • Tavern on the Green • Wollman Rink • Zoo • Zoo York Wall Events Be-In • The Concert • The Gates • New York Shakespeare Festival  • UAE Healthy Kidney 10K  • New York Mini 10K  • Concerto: One Night in Central Park Streets Borders: Fifth Avenue • Central Park North • Central Park South • Central Park West Transverses: 79th Street • 85th Street/86th Street • 96th Street People and animals Balto • Central Park Jogger • Hal the Coyote • Frederick Law Olmsted • Pale Male • Regina Peruggi • Elizabeth Barlow Rogers • Arthur Ross • Calvert Vaux • Urban Park Rangers

This article is about the public park in New York City. For other uses, see Central Park (disambiguation).

Central Park
Type	Urban park
Location	Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States
Coordinates	40°47′N 73°58′W / 40.783°N 73.967°W / 40.783; -73.967Coordinates: 40°47′N 73°58′W / 40.783°N 73.967°W / 40.783; -73.967
Area	843 acres (341 ha)
Created	1857
Operated by	Central Park Conservancy
Visitors	about 37.5 million annually[1][2]
Status	Open all year
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Architect:	Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux
NRHP Reference#:	66000538
Significant dates
Added to NRHP:	October 15, 1966[3]
Designated NHL:	May 23, 1963

Central Park is a public park at the center of Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on 843 acres (3.41 km²) of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan. Construction began the same year, continued during the American Civil War, and was completed in 1873.

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962, the park is currently managed by the Central Park Conservancy under contract with the city government. The Conservancy is a non-profit organization that contributes 83.5% of Central Park's $37.5 million dollar annual budget, and employs 80.7% of the park's maintenance staff.^[4]

Central Park today[link]

Central Park, which has been a National Historic Landmark since 1963, was designed by landscape designer and writer Frederick Law Olmsted and the English architect Calvert Vaux in 1858 after winning a design competition. They also designed Brooklyn's Prospect Park.^[5][6][7]

Central Park is bordered on the north by West 110th Street, on the south by West 59th Street, on the west by Eighth Avenue. Along the park's borders, these streets are known as Central Park North, Central Park South, and Central Park West respectively. Only Fifth Avenue along the park's eastern border retains its name.

Visitors[link]

The park, which receives approximately thirty-five million visitors annually,^[8] is the most visited urban park in the United States.^[9] It was opened on 770 acres (3.1 km²) of city-owned land and was expanded to 843 acres (3.41 km²; 1.317 sq mi). It is 2.5 miles (4 km) long between 59th Street (Central Park South) and 110th Street (Central Park North), and is 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West. Its size and cultural position has served as a model for many urban parks including San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, Tokyo's Ueno Park, Vancouver's Stanley Park, Youngstown's Mill Creek Park, and Munich's Englischer Garten, but the uniquely constrained geography of Manhattan, has made this park uniquely integral to the identity of its city.

Maintenance[link]

The park is maintained by the Central Park Conservancy, a private, not-for-profit organization that manages the park under a contract with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation,^[4] in which the president of the Conservancy is ex officio Administrator of Central Park.

Today, the conservancy employs four out of five maintenance and operations staff in the park. It effectively oversees the work of both the private and public employees under the authority of the Central Park administrator, (publicly appointed), who reports to the parks commissioner, conservancy's president. As of 2007, the conservancy had invested approximately $450 million in the restoration and management of the park; the organization presently contributes approximately 85% of Central Park’s annual operating budget of over $37 million.^[4]

The system was functioning so well that in 2006 the conservancy created the Historic Harlem Parks initiative, providing horticultural and maintenance support and mentoring in Morningside Park, St. Nicholas Park, Jackie Robinson Park, and Marcus Garvey Park.^[10]

Landscaping and facilities[link]

While planting and land form in much of the park appear natural, it is in fact almost entirely landscaped. The park contains several natural-looking lakes and ponds that have been created artificially,^[11] extensive walking tracks, bridle paths, two ice-skating rinks (one of which is a swimming pool in July and August), the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, a wildlife sanctuary, a large area of natural woods,^[12] a 106-acre (43 ha) billion-gallon reservoir with an encircling running track, and an outdoor amphitheater, the Delacorte Theater, which hosts the "Shakespeare in the Park" summer festivals. Indoor attractions include Belvedere Castle with its nature center, the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, and the historic Carousel. In addition there are seven major lawns, the "meadows",^[13] and many minor grassy areas; some of them are used for informal or team sports and some set aside as quiet areas; there are a number of enclosed playgrounds for children.

The six miles (10 km) of drives within the park are used by joggers, bicyclists, skateboarders, and inline skaters, especially when automobile traffic is prohibited, on weekends and in the evenings after 7:00 pm.

The real estate value of Central Park was estimated by the property appraisal firm, Miller Samuel, to be $528,783,552,000 in December 2005.^[14]

Crime[link]

As crime has declined in the park and in the rest of New York City, many former negative perceptions have waned. The park has its own New York City Police Department precinct (Central Park Precinct), which employs both regular police and auxiliary officers. In 2005, safety measures held the number of crimes in the park to fewer than one hundred per year (down from approximately 1,000 in the early 1980s). New York City Parks Enforcement Patrol also patrols Central Park.

Panoramic view of Central Park from the Rockefeller Center.

History[link]

1857–1900[link]

Angel of the Waters, in Bethesda Fountain (sculpted 1873)

Central Park was not a part of the Commissioners' Plan of 1811; however, between 1821 and 1855, New York City nearly quadrupled in population. As the city expanded, people were drawn to the few existing open spaces, mainly cemeteries, to get away from the noise and chaotic life in the city.^[15]

New York City's need for a great public park was voiced by the poet and editor of the Evening Post (now the New York Post), William Cullen Bryant, and by the first American landscape architect, Andrew Jackson Downing, who began to publicize the city's need for a public park in 1844. A stylish place for open-air driving, similar to the Bois de Boulogne in Paris or London's Hyde Park, was felt to be needed by many influential New Yorkers, and, after an abortive attempt in 1850-51 to designate Jones's Wood, in 1853 the New York legislature settled upon a 700-acre (280 ha) area from 59th to 106th Streets for the creation of the park, at a cost of more than US$5 million for the land alone.^{[citation needed]}

The state appointed a Central Park Commission to oversee the development of the park, and in 1857 the commission held a landscape design contest. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux developed what came to be known as the Greensward Plan, which was selected as the winning design.

According to Olmsted, the park was "of great importance as the first real Park made in this country—a democratic development of the highest significance…," a view probably inspired by his stay and various trips in Europe during 1850.^[16] He visited several parks during these trips and was particularly impressed by Birkenhead Park and Derby Arboretum in England.

Several influences came together in the design. Landscaped cemeteries, such as Mount Auburn (Cambridge, Massachusetts) and Green-Wood (Brooklyn, New York) had set examples of idyllic, naturalistic landscapes. The most influential innovations in the Central Park design were the "separate circulation" systems for pedestrians, horseback riders, and pleasure vehicles. The "crosstown" commercial traffic was entirely concealed in sunken roadways, (today called "transverses"), screened with densely-planted shrub belts so as to maintain a rustic ambiance.

The Greensward plan called for some 36 bridges, all designed by Vaux, ranging from rugged spans of Manhattan schist or granite, to lacy neo-gothic cast iron; no two are alike. The ensemble of the formal line of the Mall's doubled allées of elms culminating at Bethesda Terrace, whose centerpiece is the Bethesda Fountain, with a composed view beyond of lake and woodland, was at the heart of the larger design.

Execution of the Greensward Plan was the responsibility of a number of individuals, including Jacob Wrey Mould (architect), Ignaz Anton Pilat (master gardener), George Waring (engineer), and Andrew Haswell Green (politician), in addition to Olmsted and Vaux.

Before the construction of the park could start, the area had to be cleared of its inhabitants,^[17] most of whom were quite poor and either free African Americans or residents of English or Irish origin. Most of them lived in small villages, such as Seneca Village, Harsenville, or the Piggery District; or else in the school and convent at Mount St. Vincent's Academy. Around 1,600 residents occupying the area at the time, were evicted under the rule of eminent domain during 1857. Seneca Village and parts of the other communities were razed to make room for the park.

A map of Central Park from 1875

During the construction of the park, Olmsted fought constant battles with the park commissioners, many of whom were appointees of the city's Democratic machine^{[citation needed]}. In 1860, he was forced out for the first of many times as Central Park's superintendent, and Andrew Haswell Green, the former president of New York City's board of education took over as the chairman of the commission.^{[citation needed]} Despite the fact that he had relatively little experience, he still managed to accelerate the construction, as well as to finalize the negotiations for the purchase of an additional 65 acres (260,000 m²) at the north end of the park, between 106th and 110th Streets, which would be used as the "rugged" part of the park, its swampy northeast corner dredged, and reconstructed as the Harlem Meer.^{[citation needed]}

Between 1860 and 1873, most of the major hurdles to construction were overcome, and the park was substantially completed. Construction combined the modern with the ageless: up-to-date steam-powered equipment and custom-designed wheeled tree moving machines augmented massive numbers of unskilled laborers wielding shovels. The work was extensively documented with technical drawings and photographs. During this period, more than 18,500 cubic yards (14,000 m³) of topsoil had been transported in from New Jersey, because the original soil was not fertile or substantial enough to sustain the various trees, shrubs, and plants called for by the Greensward Plan. When the park was officially completed in 1873, more than ten million cartloads of material had been transported out of the park, including soil and rocks. More than four million trees, shrubs and plants representing approximately 1,500 species were transplanted to the park.

More gunpowder was used to clear the area than was used at the battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War.^[18]

Sheep grazed on the Sheep Meadow from the 1860s until 1934, when they were moved upstate as it was feared they would be used for food by impoverished Depression-era New Yorkers.^[19]

1900–1960[link]

From 1864 to 1934 a flock of pedigree Southdown and Dorset sheep grazed in the Sheep Meadow. They were removed to Prospect Park in Brooklyn in 1934

From 1864 to 1934 a flock of pedigree Southdown and Dorset sheep grazed in the Sheep Meadow. They were removed to Prospect Park in Brooklyn in 1934

A children's festival in Central Park, sponsored by the Federal Art Project in September 1938.

Following completion, the park quickly slipped into decline. One of the main reasons for this was the lack of interest of the Tammany Hall political machine, which was the largest political force in New York at the time. Around the turn of the 20th century, the park faced several new challenges. Cars were becoming commonplace, bringing with them their burden of pollution, and people's attitudes were beginning to change. No longer were parks to be used only for walks and picnics in an idyllic environment, but now also for sports, and similar recreation. Following the dissolution of the Central Park Commission in 1870 and Andrew Green's departure from the project, and the death of Vaux in 1895, the maintenance effort gradually declined, and there were few, if any, attempts to replace dead trees, bushes and plants, or worn-out lawn. For several decades, authorities did little or nothing to prevent vandalism and the littering of the park.

All of this changed in 1934, when Republican Fiorello La Guardia was elected mayor of New York City and unified the five park-related departments then in existence. Robert Moses was given the task of cleaning up the park. Moses, about to become one of the mightiest men in New York City, took over what was essentially, a relic, a leftover from a bygone era.

According to historian Robert Caro in his 1974 book The Power Broker:

Lawns, unseeded, were expanses of bare earth, decorated with scraggly patches of grass and weeds, that became dust holes in dry weather and mud holes in wet…. The once beautiful Mall looked like a scene of a wild party the morning after. Benches lay on their backs, their legs jabbing at the sky...

In a single year, Moses managed to clean up Central Park and other parks in New York City. Lawns and flowers were replanted, dead trees and bushes were replaced, walls were sandblasted, and bridges repaired. Another dramatic change was Moses's removal of the "Hoover Valley" shantytown, whose site was transformed into the 30 acres (12 ha) Great Lawn.^[20] Major redesigning and construction also was carried out: for instance, the Croton Lower Reservoir was filled in so the Great Lawn could be created. The Greensward Plan's purpose of creating an idyllic landscape was combined with Moses' vision of a park to be used for recreational purposes—19 playgrounds, 12 ball fields, and handball courts were constructed. Moses also managed to secure funds from the New Deal program, as well as donations from the public.

1960–1980[link]

Belvedere Castle, Central Park (built 1869)

The 1960s marked the beginning of an “Events Era” in Central Park that reflected the widespread cultural and political trends of the period. The Public Theater's annual Shakespeare in the Park festival was settled in the Delacorte Theater (1961), and summer performances were instituted on the Sheep Meadow, and then on the Great Lawn by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera. Increasingly through the 1970s, the park became a venue for events of unprecedented scale, including political rallies and demonstrations, festivals, and massive concerts.

New York City was experiencing economic and social upheaval. Residents were fleeing the city and moving to the suburbs. Morale was low, and crime was high. The Parks Department, suffering from budget cuts and a lack of skilled management that rendered its workforce virtually ineffective, responded by opening the park to any and all activities that would bring people into it—regardless of their impact and without adequate management, oversight, or maintenance follow-up. Some of these events became important milestones in the social history of the park and the cultural history of the city.

By the mid-1970s, New York’s fiscal and social malaise had contributed to severe managerial neglect. "Years of poor management and inadequate maintenance had turned a masterpiece of landscape architecture into a virtual dustbowl by day and a danger zone by night," said the conservancy president.^[21] Time had hastened the deterioration of its infrastructure and architecture, and ushered in an era of vandalism, territorial use (as when a pick-up game of softball or soccer commandeered open space to the exclusion of others), and illicit activities.

Several citizen groups had emerged, intent upon reclaiming the park by fund raising and organizing volunteer initiatives. One of these groups, the Central Park Community Fund, commissioned a study of the park’s management. The study's conclusion was bi-linear;

• It called for the establishment of a single position within the parks department, responsible for overseeing both the planning and management of Central Park and
• for a board of guardians to provide citizen oversight.

In 1979 Parks Commissioner Gordon Davis established the Office of Central Park Administrator, appointing to the position the executive director of another citizen organization, the Central Park Task Force. The Central Park Conservancy was founded the following year, to support the office and initiatives of the administrator and to provide consistent leadership through a self-perpetuating, citizen-based board that also would include as ex-officio trustees, the parks commissioner, Central Park Administrator, and mayoral appointees.

Central Park in 2004

1980–2000[link]

The look-out point on the Lake in Central Park

Under the leadership of the Central Park Conservancy, the park's reclamation began with modest, but highly significant first steps, addressing needs that could not be met within the existing structure and resources of the parks department. Interns were hired, and a small restoration staff to reconstruct and repair unique rustic features, undertaking horticultural projects, and removing graffiti under the broken windows premise. Currently, "Graffiti doesn't last 24 hours in the park," according to Conservancy president Douglas Blonsky.^[22]

By the early 1980s the Conservancy was engaged in design efforts and long-term restoration planning, using both its own staff and external consultants. It provided the impetus and leadership for several early restoration projects funded by the city, preparing a comprehensive plan for rebuilding the park. On completion of the planning stage in 1985, the conservancy launched its first "capital" campaign, assuming increasing responsibility for funding the park's restoration, and full responsibility for designing, bidding, and supervising all capital projects in the park.

The restoration was accompanied by a crucial restructuring of management, whereby the park was subdivided into zones, to each of which a supervisor was designated, responsible for maintaining restored areas. Citywide budget cuts in the early 1990s, however, resulted in attrition of the park's routine maintenance staff, and the conservancy began hiring staff to replace these workers. Management of the restored landscapes by the conservancy’s "zone gardeners" proved so successful that core maintenance and operations staff were reorganized in 1996. The zone-based system of management was implemented throughout the park, which was divided into forty-nine zones. Consequently, every zone of the park has a specific individual accountable for its day-to-day maintenance. Zone gardeners supervise volunteers assigned to them, (who commit to a consistent work schedule) and are supported by specialized crews in areas of maintenance requiring specific expertise or equipment, or more effectively conducted on a park-wide basis.^[23]

Activities[link]

Boathouse Cafe

• Birding: A wooded section of the park called "The Ramble" is popular among birders. Many species of woodland birds, especially warblers, may be seen in The Ramble in Spring and Fall.
• Boating: Rowboats and kayaks are rented on an hourly basis at the Loeb Boathouse, which also houses a restaurant overlooking the Lake. As early as 1922, model power boating was popular on park waters.
• Carriage horses: the carriage horse industry, revived in New York City in 1935,^[24] has been featured in various films; the first female carriage driver, Maggie Cogan, appeared in a newsreel in 1967.^[25] The ethics of this tradition and the effects on horse health and well being have been questioned by various animal rights activists.^{[26][27][28][29][30][31][32]}
• Pedicabs: Pedicabs operate mostly in the southern part of the park, the same part as horse carriages.
• Sports: Park Drive, just over 6 miles (9.7 km) long, is a haven for runners, joggers, bicyclists, and inline skaters. Most weekends, races take place in the park, many of which are organized by the New York Road Runners. The New York City Marathon finishes in Central Park outside Tavern on the Green. Many other professional races are run in the park, including the recent, (2008), USA Men's 8k Championships. Baseball fields are numerous, and there are also courts for volleyball, tennis, and lawn bowling.
  • Rock Climbing: Central Park's glaciated rock outcroppings attract climbers, especially boulderers; Manhattan's bedrock, a glaciated schist, protrudes from the ground frequently and considerably in some parts of Central Park. The two most renowned spots for boulderers are Rat Rock and Cat Rock; others include Dog Rock, Duck Rock, Rock N' Roll Rock, and Beaver Rock, near the south end of the park.^[33]
  • Ice Skating: Central Park has two ice skating rinks, Wollman Rink and Lasker Rink, which converts to an outdoor swimming pool in summer.

Carousel

• Central Park Carousel: the current carousel, installed in 1951, is one of the largest merry-go-rounds in the United States. The fifty-eight hand-carved horses and two chariots were made by Solomon Stein and Harry Goldstein in 1908. The carousel originally was installed in Coney Island in Brooklyn.
• Playgrounds: Central Park has twenty-one playgrounds for children located throughout the park, the largest, at 3 acres (12,000 m²), is Heckscher Playground named for August Heckscher.
• Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre: located in the Swedish Cottage. The building was originally a model schoolhouse built in Sweden. Made of native pine and cedar, it was disassembled and rebuilt in the U.S. as Sweden's exhibit for the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Frederick Law Olmsted moved the cottage to its present site in 1877.
• Central Park Zoo: The Central Park Zoo is one of four zoos, and one aquarium, managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The zoo is home to an indoor rainforest, a leafcutter ant colony, a chilled penguin house, and a Polar Bear pool.

• Entertainment
  • Each summer, the Public Theater presents free open-air theatre productions, often starring well-known stage and screen actors. The Delacorte Theater is the summer performing venue of the New York Shakespeare Festival. Most, although not all, of the plays presented are by William Shakespeare, and the performances are generally regarded as being of high quality since its founding by Joseph Papp in 1962.
  • The New York Philharmonic gives an open-air concert every summer on the Great Lawn, and the Metropolitan Opera presents two operas. Many concerts have been given in the park including Barbra Streisand, 1967; The Supremes, 1970; Carole King, 1973; Bob Marley & The Wailers, 1975; Elton John, 1980; the Simon and Garfunkel reunion, 1981; Diana Ross, 1983; Garth Brooks, 1997; the Dave Matthews Band, 2003; Bon Jovi, 2008;^[34] and Andrea Bocelli, 2011. Since 1992, local singer-songwriter David Ippolito has performed almost every summer weekend to large crowds of passers-by and regulars and has become a New York icon, often simply referred to as "That guitar man from Central Park." In the summer of 1985, Bruce Springsteen planned to hold a free outdoor concert on the Great Lawn; however, the idea was scrapped when it was purported that any free show held by Springsteen would bring an estimated 1.3 million people, crippling the park and the nearby neighborhoods.

Tavern on the Green, now a closed restaurant, it was originally built in the era of Tammany Hall to house Central Park's sheep.

• • Each summer, City Parks Foundation offers Central Park Summerstage, a series of free performances including music, dance, spoken word, and film presentations. SummerStage celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2010. Throughout its history Summerstage has welcomed emerging artists and world renowned artists, including Celia Cruz, David Byrne, Curtis Mayfield, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars, and Nobel Laureate and Pulitzer winner Toni Morrison, Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti, Pulitzer winner Junot Diaz, Vampire Weekend, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, and many more.
  • With the revival of the city and the park in the new century, Central Park has given birth to arts groups dedicated to performing in the park, notably Central Park Brass, which performs an annual concert series and the New York Classical Theatre, which produces an annual series of plays.

Central Park was home to the famed New York City restaurant Tavern on the Green which was located on the park's grounds at Central Park West and West 67th Street. Tavern on the Green had its last seating on December 31, 2009 before closing its doors.

Central Park was home to the largest concert ever on record. Country Superstar Garth Brooks performed a free concert in August 1997. About 980,000 attended the event, according to the FDNY.^[35]

Panorama of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir at Central Park, looking North

Art[link]

Victory Leading Sherman

• Sculpture: A total of twenty-nine sculptures by sculptors such as Augustus Saint-Gaudens, John Quincy Adams Ward, and Emma Stebbins, have been erected over the years, most have been donated by individuals or organizations. Much of the first statuary placed was of authors and poets, in an area now known as Literary Walk. Some of the sculptures are:
  • "Angel of the Waters" at Bethesda Terrace by Emma Stebbins (1873), was the first large public sculpture commission for an American woman
  • Balto: a 1925 statue of the sled dog who became famous during the 1925 serum run to Nome
  • King Jagiello bronze monument on the east end of Turtle Pond
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Duke Ellington: created by sculptor Robert Graham was dedicated in 1997 near Fifth Avenue and 110th Street, in the Duke Ellington Circle

• Cleopatra's Needle; is a red granite obelisk. The "Cleopatra's Needle" in Central Park is one of three; there also is one in Paris and one in London, which is one of a pair with the New York obelisk. Each obelisk is approximately 68–69 feet tall and weigh about 180 tons. They originally were erected at the Temple of Ra, in Heliopolis, in Ancient Egypt around 1450 B.C. by pharaoh Thutmose III. The hieroglyphs were inscribed about two hundred years later by pharaoh Rameses II to glorify his military victories. The obelisks were all moved during the reign of Roman emperor Augustus Caesar when Ancient Egypt was under the control of Rome. They were brought to Alexandria and erected as tribute to Julius Caesar, in front of the Caesarium, a temple originally built by Cleopatra VII of Egypt in honor of Mark Antony, thus the name "Cleopatra's Needle.^[36] There are two versions of how the Central Park Cleopatra's Needle made its way to Central Park: either it was a gift from the Khedive of Egypt, Isma'il Pasha, or it was stolen through the machinations of William H. Vanderbilt who paid the tab to have the obelisk shipped to New York and erected. The obelisk arrived in New York in July 1880; it took thirty-two horses hitched in sixteen pairs to pull the obelisk to the park. It was erected in an official ceremony on January 22, 1881.

• Strawberry Fields: On October 9, 1985, on what would have been John Lennon's 45th birthday, New York City dedicated 2.5 acres to his memory. Countries from all around the world contributed trees and Italy donated the iconic Imagine mosiac. It has since become the sight of impromptu memorial gatherings for other notables and, in the days following the September 11, 2001 attacks, candlelight vigils

• The Gates: For sixteen days in 2005 (February 12–27), Central Park was the setting for Christo and Jeanne-Claude's installation The Gates. Although the project was the subject of very mixed reactions (and it took many years for Christo and Jeanne-Claude to get the necessary approvals), it was nevertheless a major, if temporary, draw for the park.^[37]

Geology[link]

There are four different types of bedrock in Manhattan, two are exposed in various outcroppings in Central Park, Manhattan schist and Hartland schist (both are metamorphosed sedimentary rock); Fordham gneiss, an older deeper layer which does not surface in the park and Inwood marble (metamorphosed limestone) which overlays the gneiss are the others.^[38]

Fordham gneiss, which consists of metamorphosed igneous rocks, was formed a billion years ago, during what is known as the Grenville orogeny that occurred during the creation of an ancient super-continent. It is the oldest rock in the Canadian Shield, the most ancient part of the North American tectonic plate.

Manhattan schist and Hartland schist were formed in the Iapetus Ocean during the Taconic orogeny in the Paleozoic era, about 450 million years ago. During this period the tectonic plates began to move toward each other, which resulted in the creation of the supercontinent, Pangaea.^[39]

Cameron's Line is a fault zone that traverses Central Park on an east-west axis.^[40]

Various glaciers have covered the area of Central Park in the past, with the most recent being the Wisconsin glacier which receded about 12,000 years ago. Evidence of past glaciers are visible throughout the park in the form of glacial erratics (large boulders dropped by the receding glacier) and north-south glacial striations visible on stone outcroppings.

Flora[link]

Bracts of Flowering Dogwood, an understory tree native to Central Park

Central Park, home to over 25,000 trees, has a stand of 1,700 American Elms, one of the largest remaining stands of in the northeastern U.S., protected by their isolation from Dutch Elm Disease which devastated the tree throughout its native range.

A partial listing of the tree species found in Central Park, both natives and exotics:

Fauna[link]

Red-tailed hawk, one of the bird species found in Central Park

• Birds:

The first official list of birds observed in Central Park was drawn up by Augustus G. Paine, Jr.. Paine was an avid hobby ornithologist and, together with his friend Lewis B. Woodruff, drew up a list of birds counting over 100 species. This was regarded as the first official list and was published in Forest and Stream on June 10, 1886.^[41] An article in The New Yorker on 26 August 1974 calls attention to this early list.^[42] Over the decades the list has been updated and changed.

The park is frequented by various migratory species of birds during their Spring and Fall migration on the Atlantic Flyway. Over a quarter of all the bird species found in the United States have been seen in Central Park. One of these species is the Red-tailed hawk, which re-established a presence in the park when a male hawk known as Pale Male for his light coloration, nested on a building on Fifth Avenue, across the street from the park.^[when?] He became a local media celebrity and a prolific breeder.^{[citation needed]}

Central Park was the site of the misguided unleashing of European starlings in North America, a native of Eurasia which has become an invasive species. In April, 1890, eighty birds were released by Eugene Schieffelin, and the following March another eighty; these one hundred and sixty birds are the progenitors of the flocks which now span the United States and parts of Canada.

• Mammals
  • Raccoon (Procyon lotor): nocturnal tree dwellers that come down to ground level to feed at night, have become extremely common in Central Park in recent years, prompting the Parks Department to post rabies warnings around certain areas.
  • Eastern gray squirrel, or grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the eastern and midwestern United States.
  • Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus): although not commonly sighted, there are chipmunks in Central Park.
  • Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana): a nocturnal marsupial that rests in trees during the day and searches for food on the ground at night.
• Arthropods: In 2002 a new genus and species of centipede (Nannarrup hoffmani) was discovered in Central Park. At about four-tenths of an inch (10 mm) long, it is one of the smallest centipedes in the world.

Miscellaneous[link]

Cleopatra's Needle, Central Park, carved c. 1450 B.C. for Thutmose III, hieroglyphs inscribed c. 1250 B.C. for Rameses II

Permission to hold issue-centered rallies in Central Park has been met with increasingly stiff resistance from the city. In 2004, the organization United for Peace and Justice wanted to hold a rally on the Great Lawn during the Republican National Convention. The city denied application for a permit, stating that such a mass gathering would be harmful to the grass and that such damage would make it harder to collect private donations to maintain the park. Courts upheld the refusal.

Since the 1960s, there has been a grassroots campaign^[43] to restore the park's loop drives to their original car-free state. Over the years, the number of car-free hours has increased,^[44] although a full closure currently is resisted by Mayor Bloomberg. The New York City Department of Transportation is now reportedly studying the issue.

The Central Park Medical Unit is an all-volunteer ambulance service that provides free emergency medical service to patrons of Central Park and the surrounding streets. It operates a rapid-response bicycle patrol, particularly during major events such as the New York City Marathon, the 1998 Goodwill Games, and concerts in the park.

Central Park constitutes its own United States census tract, number 143. According to Census 2000, the park's population is eighteen people, twelve male and six female, with a median age of 38.5 years, and a household size of 2.33, over 3 households.^[45]

Central Park is the most filmed location in the world.^[46] Over 305 films have been shot within the park. Memorable films include Hannah and Her Sisters, When Harry Met Sally, Remember Me, Home Alone 2, Kramer vs Kramer, Enchanted, Mr. Deeds, and Serendipity.

Gallery[link]

References[link]

Notes

Bibliography

• Kelly, Bruce, Gail T. Guillet, and Mary Ellen W. Hern. Art of the Olmsted Landscape. New York: City Landmarks Preservation Commission: Arts Publisher, 1981. ISBN 0-941302-00-8.
• Kinkead, Eugene. Central Park, 1857-1995: The Birth, Decline, and Renewal of a National Treasure. New York: Norton, 1990. ISBN 0-393-02531-4.
• Miller, Sara Cedar. Central Park, An American Masterpiece: A Comprehensive History of the Nation's First Urban Park. New York: Abrams, 2003. ISBN 0-8109-3946-0.
• Rosenzweig, Roy, and Elizabeth Blackmar. The Park and the People: A History of Central Park. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1992. ISBN 0-8014-9751-5.
• Swerdlow, Joel L. Central Park - Oasis in the city. National Geographic Magazine May 1993
• Taylor, Dorceta E. The Environment and the People in American Cities, 1600s-1900s: Disorder, Inequality, and Social Change (Duke University Press, 2009), section 3; ISBN 978-0-8223-4451-3.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Central Park

Official websites

• NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
• Central Park Conservancy
• Central Park Police Precinct

Additional information

• Central Park in New York
• CentralPark.com: The complete guide to Central Park
• CentralParkHistory.com: The complete history of Central Park
• Forgotten-NY: Secrets of Central Park
• National Historic Landmarks Program: Central Park
• Lot83.com: Central Park Reservoir Project
• Elisabeth Barlow Rogers: The Central Park Story. Management and Restoration for a New Era of Public Use
• Central Park
• Virtual Tour of Central Park

v t e Features of Central Park Features The Arsenal • Belvedere Castle • Bethesda Terrace • The Blockhouse • Bridges • Central Park Mall • Cleopatra's Needle • Conservatory Garden • Conservatory Water • Delacorte Theater • Diana Ross Playground  • Dipway Arch  • Gapstow Bridge  • Great Lawn • Harlem Meer • Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir • King Jagiello Monument  • The Lake • Lasker Rink • Marionette Theatre • Medical Unit  • The Pond and Hallett Nature Sanctuary  • The Ramble • Rat Rock • Sculptures • Seneca Village • Strawberry Fields • SummerStage • Tavern on the Green • Wollman Rink • Zoo • Zoo York Wall Events Be-In • The Concert • The Gates • New York Shakespeare Festival  • UAE Healthy Kidney 10K  • New York Mini 10K  • Concerto: One Night in Central Park Streets Borders: Fifth Avenue • Central Park North • Central Park South • Central Park West Transverses: 79th Street • 85th Street/86th Street • 96th Street People and animals Balto • Central Park Jogger • Hal the Coyote • Frederick Law Olmsted • Pale Male • Regina Peruggi • Elizabeth Barlow Rogers • Arthur Ross • Calvert Vaux • Urban Park Rangers

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This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (December 2011)

The Penguin is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain who is one of Batman's oldest, most persistent enemies. The Penguin was introduced by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, making his debut in Detective Comics #58 (December 1941).

The Penguin is a short, rotund man known for his love of birds and his specialized high-tech umbrellas. A mobster and thief, he fancies himself a "gentleman of crime"; his nightclub business provides a cover for more low-key criminal activity, which Batman tolerates as a source of criminal underworld information. According to co-creator Bob Kane, the character was inspired from the then advertising mascot of Kool cigarettes — a penguin with a top hat and cane. Bill Finger also thought the image of high-society gentlemen in tuxedos was reminiscent of emperor penguins.^[1]

Burgess Meredith portrayed the Penguin in the 1960s Batman television series, perhaps the most well-known incarnation of the character. Danny DeVito played a darker, more grotesque version of the Penguin in the 1992 film Batman Returns. Subsequent Batman animated series have featured the Penguin in depictions that alternate between deformed outcast and high-profile aristocrat. The former interpretation has also appeared in comics, most notably in the miniseries Batman: The Long Halloween and its sequel Dark Victory. He only appears for a minor cameo at the end of the Long Halloween, and has no lines. He plays a slightly more notable role in Dark Victory — this incarnation also included elements of Meredith's interpretation.

Paradoxically, the Penguin has repeatedly been named among the worst^[2][3] and best^[4][5] Batman villains over the years.

Unlike most of Batman's rogues gallery, the Penguin is in control of his own actions and perfectly sane, features that serve to maintain a unique relationship with Batman. This has extended into the current characterization of the Penguin ceasing his direct involvement in crime, instead running a nightclub that is popular with the underworld; on one occasion he temporarily returned to active crime for the thrill of it, aware that Batman would learn about his actions but also secure in the knowledge that the Dark Knight couldn't testify in court without revealing his identity. As such, he is an excellent source of information on crime, so Batman grudgingly tolerates his operations so long as the Penguin agrees to be one of his informants. However, the entrepreneurial Penguin is often fencing stolen property or arranging early furloughs for incarcerated former criminal associates — for a hefty fee, of course — on the side.

Fictional character biography[link]

Born Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, the Penguin was bullied as a child for his short stature, weight, and beak-like nose. In some media, his fingers are fused together, resulting in flipper-like hands. Several stories relate that he was forced as a child to always carry an umbrella by his overprotective mother, due to his father dying of pneumonia after being drenched in a downpour. His mother owns several pet birds, and Cobblepot lavishes them with attention, considering them his only friends. In some versions, Cobblepot turns to crime after his mother dies and the birds are repossessed to pay his mother's debts; in others, he is an outcast in his rich, high society family, and their rejection drives him to become a criminal. In keeping with his family's tradition of wealth, the Penguin lives a life of crime, yet executes it with his class and style. In keeping with his pretensions of being a refined gentleman, he also prefers to wear formal wear such as a top hat, monocle, and tuxedo during his jobs.

The Penguin's alias first came from a childhood taunt, leveled by bullies who teased him because of his grotesque appearance and love of birds.^[6] In an early origin account, when Cobblepot first attempted to join a crime boss' gang, he was again belittled as a "penguin" and mocked for his umbrella before being literally kicked from the crime den. Outraged at being rejected even by criminals, he resolved to make "the Penguin" a name to fear and the umbrella a fearsome weapon. Clad in what became his customary formal garb, he returned to the den and killed the crime boss with "the world's first .45 caliber umbrella", then claimed leadership of the now terrified criminals. Some later stories suggest that he tried to abandon the nickname, which he hates, but it has been permanently brought into popularity by his high-profile criminal career.

[edit] Pre-Crisis

Originally known by no other name than his alias, the Penguin first appeared in Gotham City as a skilled thief, sneaking a priceless painting out of the museum by hiding the rolled-up canvas in the handle of his umbrella. The Penguin would later use the canvas as proof of his intellect to a local mob, which he was quickly allowed to join. With the Penguin's help, the mob pulls off a string of ingenious heists, but the mob's leader and the Penguin himself eventually have a falling-out, leading the latter to kill the former with a rifle built into his umbrella. The Penguin then became leader of the mob, and attempted to remove Batman from the picture by framing the Caped Crusader for theft. The Penguin's plans were eventually thwarted, but the bandit himself was able to escape Batman's clutches - one of the first criminals during the Golden Age of Comic Books to do so.^[7]

The Penguin would prove a persistent nemesis for the Dynamic Duo throughout of the Golden and Silver Ages, pulling off ploy after ploy such as teaming up with The Joker,^[8] attempting to extort money from a shipping company by pretending to flash-freeze a member of its board of directors,^[9] and even participating in Hugo Strange's auction of Batman's secret identity.^[10]

The Penguin's last appearance, fittingly, was the last appearance of the Earth-One Batman. After he and a multitude of Batman's enemies were broken out of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison by Ra's al Ghul, the Penguin would be amongst those that accepted the offer of the immortal terrorist and carried out his plans to kidnap Batman's friends and allies. The Penguin, along with the Joker, Mad Hatter, Cavalier, Deadshot, and Killer Moth, laid siege to the Gotham City Police Headquarters, but were infuriated when the Joker sabotaged their attempt at holding Commissioner Gordon for ransom. As a result, a standoff ensued, with the Joker on one side, and the Penguin and Mad Hatter on the other. The Joker quickly subdued both with a burst of laughing gas from one of his many gadgets.^[11]

[edit] Post-Crisis

Following the Crisis rebooting the history of the DC Universe, the Penguin was relegated to little more than cameo appearances, until writer Alan Grant (who had earlier penned the Penguin origin story "The Killing Peck") and artist Norm Breyfogle brought the classic villain back, deadlier than ever. Within the era of the Tim Drake Robin, the Penguin formed a brief partnership with the macabre criminal and hypnotist Mortimer Kadaver, who helped him fake his own death as a ploy to strike at an unsuspecting Gotham. Penguin would later gun down Kadaver, after plugging his own ears with toilet paper so that the hypnotist no longer had any power over him.^[12]

After Batman foiled this particular endeavor, the Penguin embarked on one of his grandest schemes, in the three-part story "The Penguin Affair". After finding Harold Allnut on a lonely street, being physically and verbally abused by two gang members, the Penguin takes the technologically-gifted hunchback in, showing him kindness in exchange for the hunchback's services. Eventually, Harold builds a gadget with which the Penguin can control enormous flocks of birds from miles away, which Penguin utilizes to destroy radio communications in Gotham and crash a passenger plane. This endeavor, too, was foiled by Batman, and Harold would later be taken under Batman's wing as his mechanic.

The Penguin would later resurface during Jean Paul Valley's tenure as Batman, being one of the few to have deduced that Valley is not the original Batman. To confirm this theory, he kidnaps Sarah Essen Gordon, places her in a death-trap set to go off at midnight, and turns himself in, utilizing the opportunity to mock Commissioner Gordon as midnight approaches. An increasingly infuriated Gordon is nearly driven to throw Cobblepot off of the police headquarters roof, before Valley shows up in the nick of time with a rescued Sarah. As Valley leaves, he comments that "There's nothing the Penguin can throw at me that I haven't encountered before." - a sentiment with which the Penguin reluctantly agrees, having finally accepted his fear that he has become passé as a villain.^[13]

Subsequently, Cobblepot turns his attentions to a new modus operandi, operating as a white-collar criminal running a restaurant and casino known as the Iceberg Lounge under the front of a legitimate businessman.^[14] Though he has been arrested for criminal activities several times during the course of his "reformation", he has always managed to secure a release from prison, thanks to high-priced lawyers.

During the storyline "No Man's Land," when Gotham City is nearly leveled by an earthquake, Cobblepot stays behind when the US government shuts down and blockades the city. He becomes one of the major players in the mostly-abandoned and lawless city, using his connections to profit by trading the money that nobody else in Gotham can use for goods via his outer-Gotham contacts. One of these connections is discovered to be Lex Luthor and his company, LexCorp.

The Penguin is swept up in the events of Infinite Crisis. In the limited series' seventh issue, he is briefly seen as part of the Battle of Metropolis, a multi-character brawl started by the Secret Society of Super Villains. The Penguin, along with several other villains, are bowled over by the surprise appearance of Bart Allen.

One Year Later while the Penguin is away from Gotham City, the Great White Shark and Tally Man kill many of the villains who worked for him, and frame the reformed Harvey Dent. Great White had planned to take over Gotham's criminal syndicate and weaken all his competition, the Penguin included. Upon his return to Gotham, the Penguin continues to claim that he has gone "straight" and reopens the Iceberg Lounge nightclub, selling overpriced Penguin merchandise. He urges the Riddler to avoid crime, as it is more lucrative in their current, non-criminal lifestyle.

The Penguin is also featured as a prominent figure in the new Gotham Underground tie-in to the series Countdown. He is "hired" by Batman as an informant, using his criminal contacts to give Batman an edge over Gotham's criminals. He is also in a gang war with Tobias Whale and Intergang — a war that he ultimiately loses along with his privileged position, due to having lost Batman's support after his mysterious disappearance, and Intergang taking advantage by the return of the Apokoliptan Gods. He will appear in Battle for the Cowl: The Underground, which will show the effects of Batman's disappearance on his enemies.

The Penguin's mob has been absorbed by Black Mask II and his actions controlled. The Penguin, with the aid of Mad Hatter abducted Batman, brainwashing him to assassinate the Black Mask.

During the events of Brightest Day, the Birds of Prey discover the Penguin beaten and stabbed at the feet of a new villainess calling herself the White Canary.^[15] The Birds rescue the Penguin, and flee to the Iceberg Lounge. While recovering, the Penguin expresses an attraction to Dove.^[16] Eventually, the Penguin reveals that his injury was a ruse, and that he is working with White Canary in exchange for valuable computer files on the superhero community. He betrays the Birds, and seriously injures both Lady Blackhawk and Hawk before being defeated by the Huntress.^[17] Huntress then tapes up the Penguin with the intention of taking him with her, only to be informed by Oracle that she has to let him go due to a police manhunt for the Birds being underway. Enraged at the Penguin's traitorous actions, Huntress considers killing him with her crossbow, but ultimately leaves him bound and gagged in an alleyway, with the promise that she'll be back to exact her vengeance on him at a later date.^[18]

The Penguin is eventually attacked by the Secret Six, who kill many of his guards when they ambush him at his mansion. Bane informs Penguin that he needs information on Batman's partners, as he plans on killing Red Robin, Batgirl, Catwoman and Azrael.^[19] The Penguin soon betrays the team's location, which results in the Justice League, Teen Titans, Birds of Prey, Justice Society and various other heroes hunting down and capturing the criminals.^[20]

Around this same time, a new supervillain named the Architect sets a bomb in the Iceberg Lounge as revenge for crimes committed by Cobblepot's ancestor. Though Blackbat and Robin are able to evacuate the Penguin and everyone else in the building, the Lounge is destroyed in the ensuing explosion.^[21]

In The New 52, Penguin is seen as a client of Raju who is sent to where Dollmaker is and to offer up a trade for Batman in exchange that Dollmaker receives a payment in gold.^[22] While in his Iceberg Casino, Penguin does a surveillance on a disguised Charlotte Rivers and tells his henchwoman Lark to make sure Ms. Rivers gets a story to die for.^[23]

Powers and abilities[link]

The Penguin is a master criminal strategist; he uses his considerable intellect to gain wealth and power through less than legal means. Driven entirely by self-interest, the Penguin often relies on cunning, wit, and intimidation to exploit his surroundings for profit and advance his own schemes. He usually plans crimes, but does not often commit them himself. Although fighting and hard work is mostly pushed over to his henchmen, he himself is not above taking aggressive lethal actions on his own, especially when provoked. The Penguin, in spite of his appearance, is a dangerous hand to hand combatant with enough self-taught talents in judo and fisticuffs to overwhelm attackers many times his size and physical bearing.

The Penguin always carries an umbrella due to an obsessive attitude his mother had toward doing so. The umbrellas usually contain weapons such as machine guns, sword tips, missiles, lasers, flame-throwers, and acid spraying devices. He usually carries an umbrella with the function to transform its top into a series of spinning blades. This can be used as a mini helicopter or as an offensive weapon; he often uses its function as a helicopter to escape a threatening situation. He also owns an umbrella that has a spiral pattern on the top with which he can hypnotize enemies.

Other versions[link]

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[edit] Joker

A more realistic Penguin (referred to mockingly as "Abner"^[24] by Joker) appears in Joker, a graphic novel by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo. This incarnation of the Penguin handles most of Joker's personal investments in the story, as well as dealing with incoming revenue from boxing matches. He is portrayed as almost bald, wearing a white suit and operating the Iceberg Lounge.

Elseworlds[link]

In the Elseworlds story Batman: Crimson Mist, the third part in a trilogy where Batman becomes a vampire, Penguin is the first of many criminals to be killed by the vampiric Batman after he surrenders to his vampiric instincts. Batman brutally tears Penguin's throat out as he drinks his blood and subsequently decapitates his enemy to ensure that he cannot return as a vampire.

[edit] Flashpoint

In the alternate timeline of Flashpoint, Oswald Cobblepot did not become the Penguin. Instead, he works as the security chief of Wayne Casinos, providing information about his clients and the criminal underworld to this world's Batman, Thomas Wayne.^[25]

In other media[link]

Television[link]

• The Penguin was played by Burgess Meredith in 19 episodes of the Batman television series of the 1960s. A largely campy interpretation, Meredith's performance is perhaps best remembered through his signature laugh, meant to mimic the squawk of a penguin. One cause of the laugh was the smoke from the cigarettes the character always smoked, which irritated Meredith's throat and made him cough, as he had already quit smoking in real life. The Penguin's thugs wear black bowler hats, with dark clothing adorned with names of various animals of prey; these are either birds ("Hawk") or fish ("Shark"). His prison cell {PG1} is in the "Supervillains" section, next to that of the Joker, the Riddler, Catwoman, Egghead and King Tut. Penguin can be clever when he chooses to be—he once brainwashed Alfred into being a spy for him and also tricked Batman into planning crimes for Penguin as well. However, he seems to suffer from a short term memory loss—in two episodes he had trouble recognizing an undercover Alfred and Bruce Wayne. Once when he tried to get back into Prison—as part of a larger plot-he is enraged when Batman puts Penguin into a common jail cell. In one episode, he claims to have been an actor. In the film, he commands a nuclear submarine that the criminals are using as part of their plot and which resembles a Penguin.

• Burgess Meredith made a brief cameo appearance as the Penguin in the 1968 episode of The Monkees titled "The Monkees Blow Their Minds." Years after his death, his memorable Penguin portrayal would become a staple of late-night comedians as well as Internet users, who lampooned various politicians with his likeness.

• The Penguin is a major enemy in Filmation's The Adventures of Batman animated series, which ran from 1968 to 1969, and then ran as Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder, without Superman or Superboy segments. He is voiced by Ted Knight, along with other male Batman enemies.

• Along with the Joker, the Penguin was one of the villains from the episodes of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, "The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair" and "The Caped Crusader Caper" that were later combined on the "Scooby-Doo Meets Batman and Robin" DVD. He was reprised by Ted Knight. Here, he put on various disguises, including as a dryad.

• In Filmation's series The New Adventures of Batman, the Penguin is voiced by Lennie Weinrib. He frequently rolls his 'r's and laughs in a similar manner to Meredith's portrayal. He appears in four episodes: "Reading, Writing and Wronging," "Birds of a Feather Fool Around Together" and "Have an Evil Day, Parts 1 and 2."

• The Penguin appeared in The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians episode "The Case of the Stolen Powers" voiced by Robert Morse. He is shown in prison as a cellmate of Felix Faust. He gains Superman's superpowers by accident when Felix Faust tries to get them for himself. Ironically, Batman is not featured in the episode.

• When Batman: The Animated Series debuted in 1992, Penguin was voiced by Academy Award-winner Paul Williams. Due to the close relation in time between Batman Returns and the animated series, the film version's physically freakish depiction of the character was adapted for the animated series, but he retained the traditional refined mannerisms and personality of his comic counterpart. His most prominent appearances include the episodes "Almost Got 'Im" and "Birds of a Feather". He is the only villain, other than the Joker, not to be given an origin story.

• Paul Williams reprised his role as the Penguin in the 1997 follow-up to the original animated series, The New Batman Adventures, the Penguin returned to an appearance more like his traditional comic book look. He also assumed a role similar to the one in the comic books: a "legitimate" businessman and mob boss who runs a night club called the "Iceberg Lounge."

• While the Penguin doesn't appear in Justice League Unlimited, his club the Iceberg Lounge made a cameo appearance at the beginning of the episode "This Little Piggy".

• The character has also appeared on The Batman, voiced by Tom Kenny. In this continuity, the Penguin is primarily concerned with reestablishing the Cobblepot family name in society by stealing from the citizens of Gotham to rebuild his wealth. While he shares the comic incarnation's love for birds and aristocratic look, this Penguin retained a deformed appearance more similar to the Batman Returns incarnation, with orange hair instead of black and more sharp, pointy teeth. Unlike in the previous animated series, the Penguin in this incarnation is not a "gentleman", but a rude, selfish villain. His speech is often peppered with confused squawks. When captured, he is placed in Arkham Asylum, instead of Gotham State Penitentiary like the comics and DCAU Penguin. He is sometimes aided by two henchwomen, a masked pair called the Kabuki Twins. (Although their names have never been mentioned in the show, the first The Batman comic book, which starred the Penguin, he reveals their names to be Gale and Peri.) In addition, it is clear that he also knows some form of martial arts, and is athletic enough to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Batman, dodging and parrying with his various trick umbrellas. He also seems to be in a rivalry with the Joker (and, to a lesser extent, the Riddler) for the title of Gotham's most dangerous criminal. This Penguin also regards Bruce Wayne as a personal enemy and has held him hostage on multiple occasions (though he is unaware of Wayne's alter ego). In one episode, he even infiltrates Wayne Manor, though does not discover the Batcave. He also has a grudge against Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth, due to the Pennyworths having left the service of the Cobblepots generations ago (Alfred claimed it was because of the Cobblepots' obnoxiousness). Unused concept art from the show indicates that a more classic version of the Penguin was considered for the show.^[26]

• In the animated cartoon series Krypto the Superdog, Penguin's pet birds are recurring foes of Krypto and Ace the Bat-Hound. Although Penguin is referenced in this series, he never makes an appearance in any episode.

• The Penguin is featured in The Brave and the Bold voiced by Stephen Root. In "Legends of the Dark Mite!", he appears in Bat-Mite's fantasy. In "Aquaman's Outrageous Adventure!", Batman ends up dealing with Penguin's crime spree. When Batman is captured and placed in a deadly drinking bird trap, Aquaman comes to his rescue and gets shocked by Penguin. Penguin reveals that his umbrella drones will spread a paralytic gas all over Gotham City. Aquaman manages to make contact with some crabs to free the family as Penguin sics his minions on Batman and the Aquaman family. Batman redirects the umbrella drones into the ocean and then pursues Penguin. Upon catching up to Penguin at his submarine, Batman manages to jam Penguin's umbrella with his cape and defeat him. He then cameos in "Chill of the Night!" as one of the villains at a weapons auction held by Joe Chill. The Penguin has a quick cameo in the teaser for "The Last Patrol!" and also appears in "Night of the Batmen!" fighting Aquaman in a Batman costume, only to be defeated later on.

Film[link]

• Burgess Meredith reprised his role as the Penguin in the 1966 film Batman alongside several other villains from the television show.

• In Batman Returns, the Penguin was portrayed by Danny DeVito, as one the main antagonists alongside Catwoman. Director Tim Burton, inspired by the film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, re-imagined the character not as an eloquent gentleman of crime, but a former freak show performer with a homicidal grudge against the aristocrats of Gotham City. While this Penguin retained a number of trademarks, such as a variety of trick umbrellas and the use of a monocle, he was given a huge visual makeover. Where the comic version had varied between a balding head of short cropped hair and varying degrees of thinning, this Penguin was still bald at the top but with his remaining length of hair long and stringy. His hands were now flippers, with a thumb and index finger, and the remaining three fingers fused together. An unidentified thick, dark green bile-like liquid sometimes trickled from his nose and mouth. Instead of a tuxedo, he wore a more gothic, Victorian-style outfit, with a jabot as opposed to a bow tie. Other instances show him in black boots, a dickey, and something akin to a child's blanket sleeper, or the old long john-style underwear of the 1800s (also known as a union suit). However, Burton's design maintained the top hat seen in the comics, along with a monocle and a cigarette in some scenes. In the film, the Penguin is born disfigured, and his wealthy parents throw him into Gotham's sewers. The child survives, floating down Gotham's sewers and under the city zoo, where he is taken in by a group of penguins and later joins a circus freak show as the 'Incredible Bird Boy'. While researching the Penguin, Batman speculates that the Penguin was responsible for the disappearance (and implied murder) of several children during his time in the circus freak show. Penguin and Catwoman — who he is attracted to — later attempt to frame Batman for murder while the former runs for mayor, aided by corrupt industrialist Max Schreck. When Catwoman rejects his advances he tries to kill her. During one of the Penguin's speeches, Batman reveals a recording he made of the villain ranting about his true plans for Gotham after Penguin took the remote control of the Batmobile to make it appear as though Batman was going on a rampage. Enraged, the Penguin sends his clowns to kidnap all of Gotham's first-born children, planning to drown them in the sewers. When Batman foils his plot and returns the children to their parents (leaving a note for the Penguin informing him), the Penguin snaps and orders his legions of penguins (armed with missiles) to completely obliterate Gotham. After a battle above ground, the fight ensues into the sewers and the Penguin's lair. Batman and the Penguin fight their own battle until the Penguin falls through a skylight and into the contaminated waters below. He later emerges from the pool ready to kill Batman, but has been mortally injured by his fall and Shreck's toxic waste (which has been released into the sewers). He draws an umbrella from his collection, but accidentally draws a harmless toy, "the cute one." He then collapses onto the concrete and dies. An honor guard of penguins emerges to drag his remains into the water, where he sinks to the bottom in a cloud of his own blood.

• He also appeared in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman as the primary antagonist, this time voiced by David Ogden Stiers. The plot involves Penguin and Carlton Duquesne in an illegal arms deal with the President of Kasnia. Of the three Batwomen, Penguin shares a personal history with Dr. Roxanne Ballantine as he was the one who framed her fiancée years ago which led him into prison in order to find evidences that would get his sentence commuted.

• Tom Kenny reprises his role of Penguin in the animated movie The Batman vs. Dracula. In the movie, he accidentally resurrects Count Dracula with his blood in the Gotham cemetery. Dracula then hypnotizes the Penguin to work for him. He is later released from the spell upon Dracula's death and accused of the vampire's crimes, and is thus returned to Arkham.

Video games[link]

• The Penguin has appeared as a boss in several Batman video games, including Batman: The Caped Crusader, the various video game adaptations of the movie Batman Returns, Batman: The Animated Series and Adventures of Batman & Robin for the Super NES.

• At one point he was planned to appear as a boss in The Adventures of Batman & Robin for the Sega CD, in which he would try to kidnap Summer Gleeson. The Penguin was cut from the game because it was tight on villains, but the storyboards for his animated cutscene are displayed in Paul Dini's book, Batman Animated.

• The Penguin is the chief antagonist of an online flash game, Batman: The Cobblebot Caper, which is modeled after The Batman animated series. His ultimate plan is to construct a giant mechanical phoenix which he intends to use as a war machine against Gotham City.

• The Penguin appears in Lego Batman: The Videogame,^[27] as one of the leaders of the Arkham breakout. His plan is to use mind-controlled penguins to wreak havok in Gotham. To this end, he employs Catwoman, Bane, Killer Croc and Man-Bat. He has the ability to call out robotic penguins from under his top hat. He can also use his umbrella both as a gliding apparatus and a rifle. Despite having his comic book appearance he has some ideas and characteristics of Danny DeVito's Penguin (e.g. taking over Gotham with a penguin army, having a liking for raw fish, and working with Catwoman). Unlike other versions of Penguin, he is not characterized as fat in the game.

• While the Penguin is not featured as actual character in Batman: Arkham Asylum, as a key character in Batman's universe he is referenced numerous times. An asylum security guard notes that he has witnessed the attempted smuggling of sharpened umbrellas into Arkham on at least one occasion before, a reference to the character. Additionally, an Iceberg Lounge advertisement can be seen in the Intensive Treatment wards, while a collection of trick umbrellas and top hats (apparently confiscated from Penguin upon his admittance to the facility) may be observed on display in the old Arkham Mansion.

• Penguin appears in DC Universe Online, voiced by David Jennison. Following Bane's defeat, there is a cutscene featuring Penguin stating his anger at the competition from the Falcone Crime Family, Bane, Two-Face, Mad Hatter, Hush, Killer Croc, Catwoman, and Joker due to all the chaos but being a cunning crook he plans on tricking them on wiping each other out then take Gotham for himself. The players discover that a hacked kiosk contained a message from Two-Face stating that Penguin's smuggling operation in Gotham's old subway tunnels. Penguin is served by Cryo Pengbots, Louie Sluggers, Machine Gun Tommies, Nickie Blades, Pengbots, Pyro Pengbots, Tammy Two Guns, and a Pengbot Maximus.

• Penguin appears as one of the villains in Batman: Arkham City,^[28] voiced by Nolan North in a Cockney accent.^[29] The Penguin is redesigned without the penguin-like mannerisms such as the waddle or the squawk-like laugh, and lacks his well-known top hat, although he maintains his trademark monocle (here crudely depicted as the remains of a glass bottle that was shoved into his eye socket during a bar fight), trick umbrellas, and a beak-like nose. He also appears to have some sort of speaker device implanted in his throat, or possibly a breathing device he requires due to his smoking. Apparently, Cobblepot became trapped in the open-air prison perimeter of Arkham City after refusing to vacate his residence at the Iceberg Lounge (which was condemned as part of the new project). The villain went on to establish himself as a warlord in the new criminal underworld by placing his new Iceberg Lounge in the Cryus Pinkney National History Institute. He kept Solomon Grundy under the Lounge as a "pet" he fed his disloyal minions to, and as a last resort during his fight with Batman. A shark named "Tiny" is another one of his "pets" where it was swimming in a watery area of Penguin's hideout.

Toys[link]

• The Lego Batman line includes one particular set, The Batcave: The Penguin and Mr. Freeze's Invasion, which features the Penguin. He appears as a minifigure in the set, with short, unbending legs, the classic top hat and monocle and a purple pin-stripe suit, but lacks the familiar pointy nose. The Penguin rides in a submarine reminiscent of the one in the 1960s TV series and is assisted by miniature penguin robots. The set also includes a depiction of the Batcave.

• He also appears in the Batman Lego promotional video. He is the final villain to be caught (after Two-Face, Mr. Freeze and the Joker).

• The Penguin was also featured in the 1980's Super Powers Collection toy-line, featuring various DC Comics villains and heroes. The Penguin's appearance was much like that of the time, with a blue coat and top-hat. The Penguin had "umbrella action" where his legs could be squeezed together, triggering his arm (holding an umbrella) to move up and down. - (This figure sculpt was later used for the Batman Returns figure line, with a new black paint application).

• There have been various toys of The Penguin for cartoon series, from the sophisticated aristocrat to the deformed outcast style.

• Recently the Penguin was made into a toy by Funko who made small 3.75" figures with large heads, and also soft toy version of The Penguin. The Penguin figure looked much like the Burgess Meredith style from the 1960s, along with the comic book look. The figure featured an umbrella accessory but the plush did not.

Parodies[link]

• The Penguin appears in the Saturday Night Live segment "Superman's Funeral." When he makes his trademark "Penguin Cackle," Batman angrily tells him to stop laughing, to which Penguin replies, "I'm not laughing. This is also how I cry." In that appearance, Penguin was portrayed by Robert Smigel.

• In Yin Yang Yo!, the villain called the Puffin is a parody of the Penguin. His dressy appearance is based on Penguin although characters in the show stop talking before the connection is made and before lawsuits can be filed.

• Episode 241 of "This American Life" on National Public Radio, "20 Acts in 60 Minutes," contains a short story that gives an alternate origin of Penguin's powers and rivalry with Batman. In this story, Penguin and Mary Poppins meet at a dinner party by a friend who thinks that their ability to fly or float using umbrellas will bring them together. Unfortunately, the two have nothing in common, and Mary Poppins soon leaves with another dinner guest, one who wears a conspicuous black cape.

• The Penguin appears in the Robot Chicken episode "Drippy Pony" voiced by Seth Green. In a segment that parodies Penguin in the style of the popular documentary film March of the Penguins, it shows the life of the Penguin. Tom Kane provides a narrative style similar to that of Morgan Freeman in the English-language version of March of the Penguins. He appears in another sketch from a later episode, where his umbrella was accidentally switched with that of an old woman.

Politics[link]

The character of the Penguin, particularly as portrayed by Burgess Meredith, has often been used as a theme to mock public figures that supposedly resemble him. Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, has made numerous references comparing former Vice President Dick Cheney with the Penguin, including a laugh similar to the one heard in the 1960s Batman series.^[30] In a similar manner, Stephen Colbert, host of The Colbert Report, called Franklin D. Roosevelt a criminal and told his audience to "ask Batman" "if they don’t believe him", showing a picture of Meredith as the Penguin next to one of the former President, in which he looks like him.^[31] Cheney was mocked in a similar capacity on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, while The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson chose to imitate John McCain with Meredith's Penguin laugh.

In August 2006, The Wall Street Journal found out that a Republican-led PR firm, DCI Group, was behind a YouTube video making fun of Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth. The video portrayed Gore as the Penguin, apparently as depicted in Batman: The Animated Series, using one of his trick umbrellas to hypnotize a flock of penguins into believing in the existence of global warming.^[32]

In October 2008, an internet meme surfaced when YouTube users posted videos that compared John McCain with the Penguin. Most of the meme focused on a scene from the 1960s series episode "Dizzoner the Penguin" in which the Penguin and Batman debated as opponents for mayor of Gotham City, suggesting similarities between their debate and the debates between McCain and Barack Obama during the 2008 US Presidential election.^[33]

See also[link]

• List of Batman Family enemies

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Penguin

• The Origin of the Penguin at DCComics.com
• Penguin on DC Database, an external wiki, a DC Comics wiki

The Punisher is a fictional character, an antihero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (February 1974).

The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence, and torture in his war on crime. Driven by the deaths of his wife and two children, who were killed by the mob when they witnessed a gangland execution in New York City's Central Park, the Punisher wages a one-man war on the mob and all criminals in general by using all manner of conventional war weaponry.^[1] His family's killers were the first to be slain.^[2] A war veteran, Frank Castle is a master of martial arts, stealth tactics, guerrilla warfare, and a wide variety of weapons.

The Punisher's brutal nature and willingness to kill made him a novel character in mainstream American comic books in 1974. By the late 1980s, he was part of a wave of psychologically troubled antiheroes and was featured in several monthly publications, including The Punisher War Journal, The Punisher War Zone, and The Punisher Armory. Despite his violent actions and dark nature, the Punisher has enjoyed some mainstream success (although toned down) on television, making guest appearances on Spider-Man: The Animated Series and even The Super Hero Squad Show. In feature films, Dolph Lundgren portrayed the Punisher in 1989, as did Thomas Jane in 2004, and Ray Stevenson in 2008.