Bird's eye view of the Public Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1910

About this postcard

An elevated bird's-eye view over Boston's Public Garden, showing curving gravel walks, flower beds, a circular fountain in the foreground and the lagoon with its islands and small bridge beyond; the equestrian statue of George Washington on its pedestal stands at center, with the city skyline and a church spire rising above the trees in the distance. The Public Garden, laid out in 1837 on filled marshland, was the first public botanical garden in the United States, and the Washington statue, modeled by Thomas Ball, was erected in 1869 at the garden's main entrance. The lagoon and its swan boats, introduced in the 1870s, remain the park's best-known feature.