Central Park, Model Boat Regatta, 1962

New York's Central Park is home to outdoor diversions that appeal to just about every pursuit, from the high brow to the high styling. This image pays homage to one beloved by sailors both young and young at heart—model boat racing at Conservatory Water, a man-made basin inspired by the model boat ponds in Paris gardens of the late 19th century. The Central Park Model Yacht Club was founded in 1916, but scaled-down sailing on Conservatory Water started about 40 years earlier. Regattas like the one shown here gained popularity in the 1930s, and the location became known to children everywhere through the tale Stuart Little, by E.B. White, in which Stuart, a daring mouse, takes the helm of one of the boats in a thrilling race scene.