This photo (left), of Heather MacRae
wrapping hippie beads around
Mayor Lindsay’s neck at Hair, is
displayed at the Museum of the
City of New York |
MUSEUM OF CITY OF NEW YORK
The Rest Of The Story On
Broadway’s Beloved Mayor
ROADWAY
never saw a mayor of the stature of John V. Lindsay. He was
enthralled with show business and made it his business to attend the
opening of as many shows as time allowed during two turbulent terms
at the helm of Fun City, 1966 to 1974.
You garner a sense of his charisma,
popularity and magnetism at the magnificent exhibit of America’s
Mayor: John V. Lindsay and the Reinvention of New York which
chief curator Sarah Henry created at the Museum of the City
of New York.
On view through October 3 at the Museum of
the City of New York (1220 Fifth Avenue, at 103rd Street;
212 534-1762, www.mcny.org),
the stunning exhibit robustly explores Lindsay’s controversial
career, focusing on the burning issue of race relations, the
volatile counterculture, and his ambitious efforts to remake city
government.
|
 America’s
Mayor: John V. Lindsay and the Reinvention of New York
is a wonderful tribute to the life and work of an
outstanding charismatic people leader. Profusely illustrated
with dramatically powerful pictures, the book was ably
edited by Sam Roberts, urban affairs correspondent of The
New York Times.
Lindsay was a liberal Republican "whose
ascendance as America’s Mayor crumbled into a reputation as a failed
dreamer," Roberts writes. But he "has rarely been assessed fully in
the context of his times" as in this attractive book. Among the
contributors are such popular talented writers as Richard Reeves,
Pete Hamill, Nicholas Pileggi and Jeff Greenfield.
The book is available at the Museum and
bookstores. (Columbia University Press, softcover, 248 pages,
$29.95
Amazon.com Price: $21.56)
|
In a segment on culture, I spotted my
photo of Lindsay at Hair where the lead actress, Heather
MacRae, wrapped hippie beads around the mayor’s neck backstage
at the Biltmore Theatre. Other images and artifacts further attest
to the mayor’s passion for film and stage. His affection for show
folk was well known, and they loved him in return.
During the Lindsay era I covered all the
Broadway openings, film premieres and parties at the time and
captured countless images of the mayor interacting with the stars.
