Three picnicking ladies, ca. 1899, 2010.023.61; 141 Quincy Street photograph album; 2010.023; Brooklyn Historical Society.

These three ladies are enjoying a leisurely picnic by the water in Prospect Park in 1899. Even then, just a year after the consolidation of Brooklyn into modern New York City, Frederick Law Olmsted’s park provided neighbors with a refuge from the rapid urbanization taking place beyond its boundaries. Today, the park is still an oasis for many Brooklynites, providing a place for recreation or relaxation, and a place to enjoy nature in the heart of Brooklyn.

The photograph comes from the 141 Quincy Street photograph album, which documents the house and home life of a Bedford-Stuyvesant family in the late 1890s. The album was donated to Brooklyn Historical Society by the third owners of 141 Quincy Street, a house still standing and in almost its original condition, between Bedford and Franklin Avenues. More pages from this album can be seen in Say Cheese! Portraits to Pics, now on view at Brooklyn Historical Society.

Interested in seeing more photos from BHS’s collection? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images. To search our entire collection of images visit BHS’s Othmer Library Wed-Fri, 1:00-5:00 p.m.