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Post by htmb on Aug 8, 2015 13:11:53 GMT
Thanks, Casimira! Inside the International Building AtlasAtlas is a successful collaboration between two talented artists, Lee Lawrie, who conceived the idea and designed the figure, and Rene Chambellan, who modeled the heroic-sized statue from his sketch. A famous figure from Greek mythology, Atlas was a half-man, half-god giant known as a Titan, who helped lead a war against the Olympic gods. After the Titans’ defeat, Atlas was condemned to carry the world on his shoulders as punishment. Atlas is one of Rockefeller Center’s greatest Art Deco icons and has even been used on U.S. postage stamps.
Source Seeds of a Good CitizenshipPure Art Deco, this panel features an allegorical gilded female figure sowing seeds in the form of a stylized fleur-de-lis, the symbolic flower of France. Muscular and robust, she wears the helmet of authority and the garb of a peasant woman, the dress underscoring her connection with the ordinary people. She indomitably strides across a multicolored, gilded field while effortlessly carrying a heavy sack.
Above Channel Gardens Entrance of La Maison Francaise
Source PrometheusPrometheus is said to be the best-known sculpture in Rockefeller Center and the most photographed monumental sculpture in all of NYC. Created by famed American sculptor Paul Manship, who held a great fascination for mythological subjects and events, it has become the main attraction of the Lower Plaza. Its central theme is best stated by the quote that’s carved in the red granite wall behind him, taken from the sixth-century B.C. Greek dramatist Aeschylus: “Prometheus, Teacher in Every Art, Brought the Fire That Hath Proved to Mortals a Means to Mighty Ends.”
SourceAmerican ProgressBorn in Barcelona, Sert spent his adult life living in Paris and was internationally famous as a mural painter. He was commissioned to paint this mural after the Rockefellers fired Diego Rivera, who offended them by making Lenin a principal figure on his original fresco. Sert’s mural, the focal point of the lobby, depicts the development of America through the unity of brain and brawn. The three Graces symbolize man’s intellectual activity, while Titans and men working represent men of action. Abraham Lincoln, Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Center’s skyscrapers also play prominent roles.
Main Lobby of 30 Rockefeller Plaza
SourceTimeThis dramatic ceiling mural depicts heroic-sized, Titans who symbolize the three aspects of time: Past, Present and Future. By exposing their bodies and making them muscular, Sert implies that time is both part of nature and is powerful. The Titans are portrayed evaluating man’s achievements, with the mural integrating the architecture into the subject matter—both the scales and the Titans’ feet are shown resting on actual marble columns that support the lobby ceiling, creating a panoramic vision of the weighing of man’s deeds.
Ceiling of Main Lobby in 30 Rockefeller Plaza
Source
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 15:55:57 GMT
Great pictures of Rockefeller Center. I think that every trip that my family ever took to NYC as well as just about every trip I have taken there since then has a photo of Prometheus and also Atlas. I think I would consider those to be my iconic views of New York City just like the Palais Garnier is my iconic view of Paris.
Before a real New Yorker looks at these latest images and scolds you, though, may I respectfully point out that Macy's is nowhere near St. Patrick's Cathedral? The store next door to it is Saks Fifth Avenue.
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Post by htmb on Aug 8, 2015 16:00:53 GMT
Well, now you see how important retail establishments are to me. Thanks, I've corrected the error.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 8, 2015 18:01:14 GMT
Ah, K, you ruined my fun and beat me to it. But I wouldn't have scolded, I swear. I haven't set foot in Saks in ages, and even then I only popped in to see my mom who worked in the handbag department. But I will take a look at their window displays if I'm in the neighborhood. They really pull out the stops during the holidays, of course (but they don't come close to the showmanship of Galeries Lafayette that K so diligently documents for us). Looking at your pictures of 5th Ave, I am reminded with sadness that FAO Schwartz, beloved NYC icon, closed recently. It used to stand right by the Apple store. I would have loved to take my daughter there as a special treat when she got older.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 8, 2015 18:17:22 GMT
Excellent coverage of Rockefeller Center. Besides Atlas and Prometheus (love both of those), I don't think I've ever noticed at the artwork. You've inspired me to take a closer look next time.
Great story, Kimby. You may have met the future President! (Please, God, I hope not.)
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Post by Kimby on Aug 8, 2015 22:07:42 GMT
Great story, Kimby. You may have met the future President! (Please, God, I hope not.) I'll be sure to use my great influence to call in some favors if The Donald triumphs.
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Post by htmb on Aug 9, 2015 13:44:16 GMT
The other day, as I wandered up 5th Avenue across from Central Park, I passed several people who were speaking French. It turns out the Consulat Général de France à New York was just across the street. Continuing north, the street is known as the Museum Mile. The Guggenheim Museum. The church on the corner is the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest. It's beautiful inside in an austere way. I tried taking photos, but they just weren't very satisfactory. Across from the Cooper Hewitt is an entrance to Central Park. Though the bikes can be difficult to dodge sometimes, it's great not to have to worry about cars.
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 0:46:28 GMT
Chinatown, Manhattan is a neighborhood that is home to the largest enclave of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere. It is in Lower Manhattan bordering the Lower East Side to its east, Little Italy to its north, Civic Center to its south, and Tribeca to its west. With an estimated population of 90,000 to 100,000 people, Manhattan's Chinatown is also one of the oldest ethnic Chinese enclaves outside of Asia. Source
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 1:01:37 GMT
On the day I visited, Transfiguration Catholic Church was holding an Assumption Celebration and participants were parading through the streets.
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 2:33:43 GMT
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 2:43:47 GMT
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 2:44:01 GMT
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 2:53:14 GMT
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Post by anshjain97 on Aug 10, 2015 3:36:03 GMT
Chinatown looks much more lively than I expected- or when I was there, even if you disregard the parade. And the Rockefeller Center pictures are superb
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 11:02:49 GMT
Thanks, Ansh. There really was a lot going on in Chinatown when I was there. As you can see in my photos, Columbus Park was absolutely bursting with people. Though I don't have any other experiences with which to compare, I'm guessing a lot of the activity had to do with the beautiful weather and the fact that it was a Sunday afternoon.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 11:17:22 GMT
One of the things that always amazes me about that part of Manhattan is that it never changes. Sure the shops change over the years, but all of the buildings stay the same, as though someone had decided "we built everything we needed in 1920 and there's no reason to change anything ever." While I have little personal experience with the interior of those buildings, I have seen them enough in movies and TV series (or at least the studio set versions of them!) to know how dilapidated and full of roaches and rats most of them are, and let's not even discuss the wiring and plumbing. And yet they exercise a weird spell over us visitors who find them sort of charming for some reason, probably because they look so familiar. I would expect to walk into an apartment there and find myself transported simultaneously to the world of Ralph Kramden and Travis Bickle.
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 11:39:55 GMT
Nearby, Little Italy continues to shrink and is on the verge of extinction. The three blocks I saw, on a street closed to traffic on Sundays, were filled with restaurants, bars and shops, but at one time, what was known as Little Italy covered 50 square blocks. New York Post
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 11:45:56 GMT
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 12:56:20 GMT
A quick look around Soho, currently an area known for its expensive trendy boutiques and chain stores. I found the architecture more interesting, especially the buildings fronted with cast iron.
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 13:09:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 15:46:01 GMT
Jeezums, I can't believe the amount of ground you covered. This is likely the most comprehensive report on NYC on here.
I too, was saddened to hear that FAO Schwarz shuttered it's doors. Talk about a NYC institution.
And, the shrinkage of Little Italy is such a pity.
I'm wondering if the huge Jeff Koons display at Rockefeller Center is still up. Likely not because surely you would have seen it. I'm not a big fan of Koon's work but, this particular exhibition was very cool.
Have you made it up to the tip of Manhattan, where the Cloisters is located? Also, St. John The Divine Cathedral is well worth a visit.
Me, counting the days until I get there. I just got the set of keys to my friend's apartment today in the mail.
Thanks again for the incredibly well done report.
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 16:22:01 GMT
Thanks, Casimira. Unfortunately, the Jeff Koons exhibit at Rockefeller Center ended last September. No, I haven't been very far to the north. Maybe I'll get up to the Cloisters yet.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 16:33:22 GMT
It's worth the trip to be sure. The tapestries are exquisite. If you go, there's a little restaurant very nearby, The New Leaf Cafe. Just wonderful.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 10, 2015 17:47:56 GMT
Chinatown is such a vibrant area and your pictures convey that beautifully. Even though it's a stressful neighborhood to be in sometimes, I love that it's still an authentic cultural enclave. Little Italy, on the other hand, is more a nostalgic marker than anything. I recognized the crooked Doyers Street (referred to as "Bloody Angle" in the past) in your pictures. When I was writing about it in my Chinatown report, I came across this 1909 photo of it. As K says, it hasn't changed much.
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Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 20:47:14 GMT
Thanks for adding the picture, Nycgirl. I think you summed up the difference I observed between the two areas perfectly. Little Italy was filled with mostly tourists, while Chinatown appeared to be little swamped with locals going about their normal Sunday afternoon activities.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 11, 2015 7:02:16 GMT
Whew! I've been touristing myself, so only now swallowed this whole fabulous report in one gulp. I will definitely come back to enjoy it again, though. Htmb, this is a phenomenal set of photographs -- the Cunard picture, the French Building, the Rockefeller mural, the extreme angle reflection, the smoking cook crouched against a wall, and on and on. You know I'm a sucker for tall-building photos, and yours are so very, very good.
Like Ansh, I had no idea Chinatown was so crowded. Little Italy looks like Little Place Where We Have Tourist Stuff.
I can't say enough good things about this fascinating thread. Kudos!
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Post by htmb on Aug 11, 2015 20:10:38 GMT
Thanks, Bixa. I'm running out of time (and steam) for this trip, but there are still so many places I want to see. I'd love to go back to Chinatown. I visited MOMA today and thought it absolutely fabulous. I'll put something in the museum thread if any pictures are worthwhile. Since it only cost me $5 to get in, rather than $25, and I get to skip the lines because S. has a membership, I just might return this week. It's been a really good trip - actually an outstanding summer - but some fantastic things are also happening at work and I'm almost excited about getting back. And, on those work days when I'm dragging my heels and getting aggravated, I'll remember the really wonderful phone call I received from my boss while I was standing on the corner of 6th Avenue and 53rd Street in the heart of New York City. Did I say it had been a good day.
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Post by nycgirl on Aug 11, 2015 21:00:47 GMT
Oh good, glad you got to visit MoMA. It's a special place. Did you see the Yoko Ono exhibit? I'm not sure I'd like it, but I am curious about it. Glad you got some good news.
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Post by htmb on Aug 11, 2015 21:13:56 GMT
Yes, I did see the Yoko Ono exhibit. I felt the same as you going in, and was also curious. I certainly didn't understand a lot if it. I've got a few pictures I'll post.
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Post by htmb on Aug 13, 2015 20:05:25 GMT
Have you made it up to the tip of Manhattan, where the Cloisters is located? Casimira, thank you very much for the great suggestion. I took an express bus up to the Cloisters area this morning, and then rode a local bus back. I'm so glad I went up there. I saw a whole different part of New York from the express bus, with Yankee Stadium in the distance, and took a lot of photos through the window of the local bus on the way back. The Cloisters was wonderful, with old European charm and a terrific view of the Hudson River. Once I see how my photos turned out I'll decide whether to post everything here, or create a dedicated thread.
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