Fellow Member Assistance

Can I recommend and Fellow Member assitance forum.
Due to a new bit of research I have been asked to do I am in real need of a photograph which I am unable to source.

I have been told there are some impressive gates on 33rd Street NY that have two owls incorporated into the design, and I need an image of them, but it would be a bit of an expensive photo if I was to fly out from the UK.

I am sure there is probably a number of ATS members who walk past these every day and wouldn't mind posting a pic, but there is no where to post a request without it seeming to be in the wrong thread or forum.

Would gratefully see this forum added or just someone to post the pic would be great.

Cheers.

Bondi,

I think that this is what you may be looking for, on Herald Sq, NYC:

The clock and statuary, crafted in 1895 by Jean-Antonie Carles, are from the old Herald building; the goddess is Minerva, complete with owls, and the bellringers, which swing their hammers on the hour, are nicknamed Stuff and Guff.

Sound about right?

Merkin.

Edit: Found some pics and a link.

Pic 1: www.forgottendelights.com...

Pic 2 (not seen in Pic 1, two of these pillars sit above Minerva): www.forgottendelights.com...

Details:

This group of figures was commissioned for the roof of the New York Herald's two-story headquarters on 35th Street and Sixth Avenue. James Gordon Bennett, Jr., moved the headquarters of the Herald from its original location on Park Row (near "Printer's Square," where the Benjamin Franklin statue now stands) uptown to a Renaissance-palazzo style building designed by Stanford White. In the era before cheap watches, the Herald Tribune's tolling clock was relied upon by the working people in the Herald Square area.

Athena (or Minerva), goddess of wisdom, holds her shield and spear with her left hand as she gestures commandingly at the two men below. On the hour, the men swing back their hammers and strike the bell. Actually, they don't: that would eventually wear down the bell. Instead, the hour is struck by a mechanism tucked behind the bellringers. On top of the bell sits Athena's bird, the owl, whose eyes used to blink green when the Athena and her minions were atop the Herald's headquarters. Two more owls sit on pillars flanking the southern entrance to the small park.


The inscription below the figures notes that this is a memorial to James Gordon Bennett, founder of the New York Herald in 1835, and his son James Gordon Bennett, "through whose vision and enterprise the New York Herald became one of the world's great newspapers."

Merkin

[edit on 14/12/04 by Merkin]

Thanks for the pics , but the request given to me is definitely

Gate, 33rd Street, Two Owls, it is quite possible that it does not exist as the majority of the research requests I get is asking is this really there,

ie I had a gentleman from Eastern Asia ask me to find out, along with a number of other things, if the tower of london actually housed a dungeon and prison cells as portrayed in a history of England book he had. I just went on the London Bridge tour a took loads of pictures, the bloke was thrilled.

Bondi,

It says on the link I provided that there are two owls atop the gates to the park next to that statue. Cast by the same sculptor. I think this park is on or around 34th St, so not too far away from where you thought.

Could be it?

Oh yer, sorry, didn't read properly.

I'll pass on the info and see if this fits the person description enough.

If anyone else has got any ideas the please post. The more options the better.

if youd like, i can try to go take a pic, as i live in manhattan. probably not tomorrow, i have class, but i can try thursday if youd like, or the weekend if its too dark after school. u2u me if the above pix dont work.