Concert Grove Lagoon, Prospect Park, 1897, v1973.2.365; The Brooklyn oversize 19th century collection, v1973.002; Brooklyn Historical Society.

As the days get warmer and the nights get shorter there’s nothing like an outdoor picnic to celebrate the early days of summer. This photo of picnickers in Concert Grove Lagoon depicts a picturesque scene of Brooklynites enjoying the mid-day sun at Prospect Park in 1897. At the turn of the twentieth century, as Brooklyn’s population continued to diversify, members of different social classes mixed more and more in public spaces such as parks and theatres – even as class and race divisions continued to stratify. The photograph also depicts a fleet of bicycles for cycling, a leisure activity fast gaining popularity in 1897.

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