Photographs represent the landmarks of New York

Prague - Images from more than forty photographers capture the sights of New York in an exhibition that began today at the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery in Prague. The exhibition, prepared in collaboration with the American Embassy in Prague, will last until November 12 and will commemorate forty years of heritage protection for historical buildings in New York.
New York occupies a leading position among American cities in terms of heritage preservation practices and the scope and quality of its architectural landmarks, according to the exhibition organizers. The quantity and diversity of these buildings create a full range of architectural types that touch upon every aspect of life.
There are among them buildings of inns and farms from the 18th century, factories, banks, and offices from the 19th century, residential buildings from three centuries, meeting the needs of all layers of the urban population, from the simplest to the wealthiest dwellings. The history of New York's inhabitants can be found written into the architecture of public buildings, factories, skyscrapers, university and museum buildings, parks, churches, and places of worship of the 20th century.
Last year, New York commemorated the 40th anniversary of the day the landmark preservation law went into effect. It was adopted in response to the ongoing loss of historical, architectural, and cultural landmarks in New York, which was initiated by the demolition of Penn Station in 1963. Consequently, New York City found itself at the forefront of the global movement for heritage protection, as noted by the exhibition's authors. Currently, this law protects nearly 23,000 sites - from parks and individual trees to docks and bridges, cemeteries and archaeological sites, interiors and clocks, theaters, factories, museums, and fortresses.
Throughout the Czech Republic, where heritage preservation has a much older history, only about twice as many sites are officially designated as immovable cultural monuments than in New York. Some domestic experts consider this figure too high and suggest that more selectivity be applied in choosing what will enjoy heritage protection. Other experts counter their arguments with examples from Western European countries, which often have far more sites designated as heritage.
The exhibition was prepared by the American Center for Historic Preservation with the assistance of a donor who wishes to remain anonymous and who provided funding for all research and preparatory work related to the exhibition.