Anatomy of a Photo: PROSPECT PLACE

Welcome once again to Anatomy of a Photo where we attempt to coax just a little bit more from a picture.

Today's photo was made from the roof of The Manor, and depicts Prospect Place ‒ all three blocks of it.       

We begin with the North Park, which is neatly captured above. Known for its Lich Gate entrance, gravel-lined paths and privet-hedge fencing, it's a comforting retreat.

But one thing puzzles us: What is the woman saying to the child?

Further down the street is the Middle Park and the Tudor City Coffee House. The park is a hazy maze of fences leading to the staircase down to 42nd Street. Across the way, the windows of the Coffee House have been cranked open; it must have been a warm day.

Across Prospect Place, the Middle Park appears more polished looking, no doubt because it's entirely fenced in and admits no visitors. Across the street, the South Park has been transformed from a miniature golf course into a Tudor park complete with a Lich Gate and gazebos.

  

There is one thing 'wrong' about the photo, and that is the lack of The Sign, which seems to have vanished into thin air. It suggests a careful erasure by an adept retoucher ‒ or perhaps the letters just decided to take the day off, your call.