New York
When WaterShapes went all-digital back in July 2011, there was one big story looming in the print-magazine horizon: That summer, as finishing touches were being added to the National September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan, we were all set to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the fountain portion of the project in a September issue that never materialized. This missed opportunity with the memorial has been somewhere in
There have been a few times in life when I've turned a corner and gasped. Coming through the long tunnel into Yosemite Valley for the first time and seeing Bridal Veil Falls, Half Dome and El Capitan all at once did it for me. Seeing the Fountains at Bellagio for the very first time did it, too. Beyond that rare sort of experience, however, I've been pretty unflappable. Just a few weeks ago, however, gasping erupted again as I made my way through
In our usual run of business as installers of stone and tile in and around New York City, we can get involved in projects that take years to complete and involve us in applying tens of thousands of square feet of material within or onto a single high-rise building. In some of these projects, a pool or spa comes as part of the package, but they tend to be such small parts of the overall picture that it's fairly tough to focus on them. This was not the case, however, in our work on the renovation of the swimming pool and spa in the historic Woolworth Building in lower Manhattan. When it opened in 1913, this was the tallest skyscraper on the city's skyline and held that distinction for 17 years. For a time, it was the
I've been to New York often through the years, mostly on business trips that have only rarely afforded me opportunities to get out and take in the sights. But on one occasion many years ago, I managed to shake out several extra days and spent my time experiencing as much of Manhattan as I could.
I ranged from Battery Park on the island's southernmost tip of the island up to The Cloisters on its northern reaches and managed to spend a whole, glorious early-fall day in Central Park. It was there, near the upper edge of Frederick Law Olmstead's masterpiece of urban space-making, that I came across a marvelous little fountain that's well worth a few extra steps the next time your travels take you to the Big Apple.
The fountain I'm referring to wasn't here originally. For many years, it had graced the Yonkers, N.Y., estate of Samuel Untermyer, who passed away in 1940. He was a New York lawyer and prominent civic leader, and when his children donated the fountain to the park, the monuments committee placed it by 1947 in an estimable space in the Conservatory Garden.
This is the original fountain. To see it, you need to travel all the way to Mecklenburg, Germany.
The fountain's sculpture, "Three Dancing Maidens" by the German artist Walter Schott, isn't exactly "original" either: It's one of a set of replicas cast in Berlin at some point after the artist finished his work around 1910. Schott was a favorite of Kaiser Wilhelm and spent a lot of time doing monumental portrait busts and conventionally grand statues of historical figures, but he was capable of working with far greater subtlety and expressiveness - these fair and flowing maidens being a case in point.
The fountain freezes from time to time, as seen in this photograph taken in 2008. The frozen drapery adds a special touch to the composition.
I haven't seen the Untermyer Fountain in more than 30 years, but it came quickly back to mind when I saw it among a photo survey of New York fountains frozen by wintertime cold snaps. As you may recall, I'm an avid fan of frozen fountains and waterfalls; I've always supposed it has something to do with the fact that my family escaped the Frost Belt when I was very young -- but I still have early (and happy) memories of icicles draping everything in sight.
You don't have to withstand frosty weather to appreciate the Untermyer Fountain: I saw it on a warm October day, and I have to say there's no better place to be than New York (and Central Park!) at that time of year.
By Jim McCloskey
I've been to New York many times through the years, mostly on business trips that have only rarely afforded me opportunities to get out and about and take in the sights. But on one occasion many years ago, I managed to shake out several extra days and spent my time experiencing as much of Manhattan as I could.
I covered the run from the southernmost tip of the island up to The Cloisters on its northern reaches and managed to spend the full length of one glorious early-fall day in Central Park. It was there, near the top edge of Frederick Law Olmstead's masterpiece of urban space-making, that I came across a marvelous little fountain that's well worth a few extra steps the next time your travels take you to the Big Apple.
The fountain I'm referring to wasn't here originally. For many years, it had graced the Yonkers, N.Y., estate of Samuel Untermyer, who passed away in 1940. He was a New York lawyer and prominent civic leader, and when his children donated the fountain to the park, the monuments committee placed it by 1947 in an estimable space in the Conservatory Garden.
The fountain's sculpture, "Three Dancing Maidens" by the German artist Walter Schott, isn't exactly "original" either: It's one of a set of replicas cast in Berlin at some point after the artist finished his work around 1910. Schott was a favorite of Kaiser Wilhelm and spent a lot of time doing monumental portrait busts and conventionally grand statues of historical figures, but he was capable of working with far greater subtlety and expressiveness - these fair and flowing maidens being a case in point.
I haven't seen the Untermyer Fountain in more than 30 years, but it came quickly back to mind when I saw it among a photo survey of New York fountains frozen by wintertime cold snaps. As you may recall, I'm an avid fan of frozen fountains and waterfalls; I've always supposed it has something to do with the fact that my family escaped the Frost Belt when I was less than four years old and I have early (and happy) memories of icicles draping everything in sight.
But you don't have to withstand frosty weather to appreciate the Untermyer Fountain: I saw it on a warm October day, and I have to say there's no better place to be than New York (and Central Park!) at that time of year.
dry
© Victorianl | Dreamstime.com
Original fountain in Mecklenburg, Germany
Photo by Doris Antony, Berlin | Wikipedia
Frozen in 2008
Photo by Ralph Hockens, New York | Wikipedia
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