National Park Bank, New York City, New York, Competition Design Drawing c. 1866

This is Peter Bonnett Wight's competition design drawing for the National Park Bank in New York City, rendered in ink and watercolor. The drawing embodies the "Gothic Revival" style, prominent in the 19th-century United States. This choice of style links the bank to the cultural authority of the medieval past, and by implication, the established institutions of Europe. Consider how specific features, such as pointed arches, elaborate tracery, and the overall vertical emphasis reference religious architecture. Banks like the National Park played a crucial role in shaping New York's economic landscape, influencing the development of neighborhoods and the distribution of wealth. Architectural drawings such as this represent the outcome of the institution of architectural competitions. Such competitions became increasingly commonplace in the nineteenth century as a way of soliciting designs for major public and private buildings. To fully understand this drawing, we can consult architectural journals, construction records, and social histories. The meaning of such artwork is always contingent on its social and institutional context.