TWO CORVINGTONS, East 42nd Street

by Kevin Walsh

Seen here at the Tudor City Place overpass on East 42nd Street, just south of the United Nations, are a pair of Corvington, or Type 24M, lampposts. Toward the end of their original run in the late 1940s, perhaps responding to the deprivations of World War II, both Corvingtons and bishop crook lamps were produced with much simplified metal scrollwork, reduced to the bare “necessities.” Soon after, the new octagonal poles would be introduced and most remaining Corvs and Crooks would be grandfathered out.

Also notable here are relatively new Westinghouse AK-10 “cuplights.” These would prove adaptable and were used on Corvingtons, Crooks, octagonal poles, and Whitestone poles (used on parkways). In the 1960s, they were even paired up with Donald Deskey posts on the Belt Parkway. They still have a stronghold on the lower deck of the Verrazano Bridge.

6/21/14

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.