Join us on October 8, 2025, for a special book event with historian and FRIENDS Board of Advisors member Anthony C. Wood, as he discusses his latest publication, Servant of Beauty: Landmarks, Secret Love, and the Unimagined Life of an Unsung New York Hero (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025). In conversation with Ronda Wist, Vice President of FRIENDS, Wood will reflect on the true story of Albert Bard, who fought for NYC's Landmarks Law and was a remarkable civic champion whose unwavering devotion to beauty in the public realm helped transform New York City. The biography also delves into a deeply personal and little-known aspect of his life—his secret love for a younger man—which profoundly shaped his inner world. This intimate and inspiring portrait offers a fresh perspective on the personal sacrifices behind public achievements and celebrates the legacy of a man who quietly changed the face of the city.
Event details:
Date: Wednesday, October 8
Time: 6-8 PM | Program begins at 6:30 PM
Refreshments to follow
Location: The Library, 8th Floor, 122 East 66th Street
*This free event has limited seating and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is required to attend. While admission is free, donations are welcome and help sustain our public programs.
About the Author:
Anthony C. Wood is a preservationist, historian, and grant maker. Over a career spanning more than forty years, he has worked at the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Municipal Art Society, The J.M. Kaplan Fund, and is currently Executive Director of the Ittleson Foundation. Wood is the founder and Chair Emeritus of the New York Preservation Archive Project; a past Chair of the Preservation League of New York State and Partners for Sacred Places; and has been an Advisor and Trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Currently Chair Emeritus of the Historic Districts Council, Anthony Wood serves on the board of the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust in Charleston, South Carolina and for more than twenty-years was an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Historic Preservation at Columbia University. He is the recipient of New York City’s Fine Arts Federation’s Bronze Medal, the Historic District Council’s Landmarks Lion Award, and the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Lucy G. Moses Award for Preservation Leadership.