Strawberry Fields: Central Park's Memorial to John Lennon

by Sara Cedar Miller

Strawberry Fields is one of the most visited spots in Central Park and one of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City. This keepsake volume is a celebration of the 2.5-acre teardrop-shaped living memorial to John Lennon's life and work. The year 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of its dedication, as well as what would have been Lennon's 70th birthday. Located in the park directly across the street from the Dakota, the building where John and Yoko lived for several years before his untimely death, Strawberry Fields was originally conceived as a "peace garden." Yoko invited the entire world to donate trees, shrubs, and stones to fill this parcel of land, and today, the garden flourishes with contributions from 121 countries.

A rich and lively patchwork of text and imagery will tell the story of John and Yoko's love affair with the park and of the creation of this unique corner of the park through an unprecedented collaborative effort between Yoko Ono, the Central Park Conservancy, and city officials.

Genres: Music

96 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2011

About the author

Sara Cedar Miller has been the official photographer and historian for the Central Park Conservancy since 1984. She is the author of Abrams' Central Park: An American Masterpiece. She lives in New York.

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very touching story of how Strawberry Fields came about after the tragic death of John Lennon.
Great pictures and such generous donations from all over the world.

[Cheryl Gatling]

This little photo-filled book tells a story I didn’t know. In 1980 John Lennon was shot at the doorway of the Dakota, the apartment building in New York City, where he lived with Yoko Ono. I knew that. I didn’t know that a section of the park was dedicated as a memorial to him, and named Strawberry Fields.

The book backs up in time to give a brief history of Central Park in general, the teardrop-shaped section that would become Strawberry Fields, and the Dakota. The Dakota was the first of its kind luxury apartment building in New York. New York’s super-rich built themselves their own mansions, but land in New York was scarce and exorbitant, and many people, even being well off, couldn’t afford it. But renting a flat was seen as lower class.

Edward Clark, using the money form the Singer Sewing Machine fortune, bought up land on the west side of Central Park, which was then undeveloped, and started building a romantic castle of an apartment building. One of his friends commented that it was so far out in the middle of nowhere that it might as well be in the Dakotas. And so it became the Dakota.

At the time Lennon and Ono lived there, they treated the park, which was right across the street, as their own front yard. They loved the park and walked in it every day. But the park was in decline due to the city’s finances. There were trash and weeds and broken benches. The Central Park Conservancy, a group of concerned citizens, was formed to protect and restore the park.

And then John Lennon was shot. Yoko called for a vigil in Central Park, and thousands of people came, bringing tributes, and gathering for ten minutes of silence.

The idea for a memorial was born. It was envisioned as a park dedicated to international peace. Yoko sent an open letter to all the countries of the world, asking them to contribute plants and artifacts, and many of them did. The centerpiece is a marble mosaic that says “IMAGINE.” The mosaic was constructed by workmen from Naples, Italy.

Most of Strawberry Fields is just beautiful nature: trees, lawns, and a woodland path. Naturally, strawberries were intended to be part of the design. Strawberries were planted by seed, and the birds ate them all. So tiny wild strawberry plants were planted here and there. People also bring strawberries, and leave them as a memorial.

Strawberry Fields is the most visited part of Central Park, according to the book, and people from all over the worlds come to pay their respects, as well as just to enjoy the beauty of nature.

[Lilly Benny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading little tidbits about things I never knew! It was cool learning about the origins of the Dakota building, as well as, of course, Strawberry Fields in Central Park. The pictures in this are gorgeous! And the quotes from Yoko and other contributors to the Memorial were really neat :)

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book about an beautiful part of New York City. Although it is about one area I found the history of the park fascinating. Well researched and written.

[Amy Paget · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because I made my first visit to NYC in March, I am still processing the experience and I eagerly looked for more information on places visit. During our lovely ride/walk around Central Park, we visited the John Lennon memorial, Strawberry Fields. Hence the reading of this book, It's a well-produced small gift book from Abrams Press and Sara Cedar Miller, Central Park Conservancy's official photographer has a light touch in balancing wonderful photographs with the history of the park and then the development of Strawberry Fields. Serious park or Lennon historians will visit other tomes for more details, but this is a good entry point.

[Tom Mueller]

Due out soon, this is at the top of my reading queue.

[Judith Guyot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful tribute to both John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It will make you cry and be joyful at the same time.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely interesting -- this is the story / history of the area of New York's Central Park that became "Strawberry Fields" -- Central Park's Memorial to John Lennon.