Museum Collections

George E. Waring, Jr. worked at the park as a drainage engineer. His entry, "Art the Handmaid of Nature," embraced the natural formations of the land. Unlike Rink's plan, Waring's includes few landscaped arrangements. Although the drawing is rich in topographical detail, it is sparing in actual design. Rambling footpaths cut across difficult terrain, with little regard for comfort. However, the designer included some sports fields, such as the cricket ground visible near the east 80s, and inserted the Crystal Palace into the middle of the park, at approximately 66th Street. In a nod to Waring's career at the park, the proposal included a detailed drainage plan. Ultimately, he stayed on as drainage engineer for the implementation of Olmstead and Vaux's final design.