Left Section
Peter Stuyvesant exits stage left. Above him is James II of England as Duke of York, from whom New York takes its name. In the distance, Giovanni da Verrazzano—the first European known to have seen New York Harbour—arrives by boat, here depicted on The Pond before Gapstow Bridge. Nearby, two Pilgrims make their way across the landscape, while, in the far distance, Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk) gives a friendly wave. The swearing-in of George Washington is witnessed by Roger Elizabeth DeBris from Mel Brooks' The Producers (2005), resplendent in the celebrated Chrysler Building gown.
Having arrived in the 1650s, Margaret Hardenbroeck Philipse - depicted with a fellow trader—was one of the most dynamic power brokers of early New York: a transatlantic merchant, shipping magnate, and one of the colony's wealthiest entrepreneurs. Above, an alligator fresh from the sewers, prowls past the Sherman Monument, while in the distance a number of Gilded Age notables promenade.
Central Section
Mose the Fireboy, the legendary New York folklore hero of the mid-nineteenth century, reputedly eight feet tall, is seen here smoking with his faithful hound. Mose towers over Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, who stands beside a globe and worlds apart from a pair of Jazz Age flappers. Behind them are the controversial figures of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, observed by two Federal-era fashionistas, oblivious to the tense gangster stand-off unfolding behind them. High above, Spider-Man perches on the trunk of a pine tree, surveying the scene.
At the heart of this section stands a young couple from the Munsee Lenape's Wolf Clan, whose ancestral homeland once encompassed Manhattan. They appear almost as ghosts of the past, surrounded by wolves. To the Lenape, the wolf symbolises strong family bonds and collective survival, reflecting the protective and cooperative nature of the pack. In deliberate counterpoint, the Lenape couple are encircled by a sinister Bowery Boy, the Village People, Babe Ruth, Rocky Graziano, and a troupe of Broadway chorus girls. Beyond them are musicians and dancers, a beaver, Grace Jones hula-hooping, the Incredible Hulk flexing, and an outraged preacher. At the rear stand The Dairy and two watchful nuns.
Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell are admired by Groucho Marx, who is illuminated by a Mae West-esque Statue of Liberty. Tony Manero (John Travolta) points towards David Bowie, who in turn winces at Truman Capote, all set before the sailor trio of Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin from On the Town.
Right Section
A dancing couple are accompanied by Irving Berlin at the piano, Charlie Parker on saxophone, and Harpo Marx on the harp. Above, West Side Story unfolds; the Beatles (minus John Lennon) perform in Strawberry Fields; revellers dance; Jackie Kennedy poses; and John Lennon strolls away with Yoko Ono, much to the outrage of Carmen Miranda. Higher still, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol study Batman as Bette Midler stomps off towards Belvedere Castle.
Background
The skyline is formed by the buildings edging the southern side of Central Park. King Kong clings to the Empire State Building, glaring across at the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, while Godzilla makes his dramatic arrival on the horizon.