firemens


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It's not every day you find a living fossil. The post shown at left appears in a 1936 survey of remaining lamppost styles in NYC, which counted over 200 separate styles -- many of which had just one specimen.

The post shown at left has been right under my nose at Verdi Square, Broadway, Amsterdam Avenue and West 72nd Street.

Though this post is documented as having originally been located at Riverside Drive and West 100th Street at the Firemen's Memorial over there, here it is pictured at Times Square in a NYC picture book published in the 1950s.

And here it is at Verdi Square. The documentation reads: "Decorative lamppost, with some original parts taken from a lamppost that was originally located at the Firemen's Memorial at Riverside Park"; that implies this is not the original, but has been built with parts taken from the original. It boasts some incredible detail; five luminaires at the top, held in place by four decorative stags' heads.

... and four lions at the base. Again, I know little about this post other than I thought I'd never see it, so if anyone can fill me in...

Photos: Bob Mulero. Page completed November 10, 2008

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