This April 1970 photo shows when the Garibaldi statue in Washington Square Park was being moved as part of the park’s renovation.
The monument, featuring a bronze statue on a granite pedestal, was moved about 15 feet east to allow construction of a promenade in the park, according to the Parks Department.
During the relocation, a time capsule was discovered that had been placed when the monument was dedicated in 1888. The glass vessel contained several documents, including newspaper accounts of Italian nationalist Garibaldi’s death in 1882, a history of the Committee for the Monument of Garibaldi, and news clippings and a poster for the statue’s dedication.
General Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-82) fought for Italy’s unification in the mid-19th century. The statue’s sculptor, Giovanni Turini, was a volunteer member of Garibaldi’s Fourth Regiment during an 1866 war between Italy and Austria.
— Gabe Herman
