YOGI Berra said it best, as he often did: “You can observe a lot by looking.” I must have used that quote in FNY before, but not lately. I was picking my way north on 5th Avenue a few weekends ago when I noticed this entrance at #60, corner of West 12th. It’s the entrance to what was built as the Macmillan Building, home to the publisher, which is still in business. I remember them as the publisher of the original Encyclopedia of Baseball in 1969, a treasure trove of statistics up to that date. Today, baseball-reference.com has all this for the monthly internet nick, but having all this info at your fingertips in 1969 was nothing short of amazing.
The building itself is somewhat stolid if you overlook the large windows and Ionic pilasters at the entrance so I didn’t do a street View screen grab, but what gripped my attention is the bronze figures on the entrance. Even if you didn’t know #60 was built as a publishing house you can guess it was once involved with the arts, as the bronze features an open book, what looks like a lyre, and an artist’s palette and brushes.
Macmillan moved to Rockefeller Plaza awhile ago and #60 did time as Forbes Magazine headquarters and now houses schoolrooms for New York University. Before Macmillan built its office in 1925, the site was home to a mansion belonging to whale oil merchant Robert B. Minturn.
Check out the ForgottenBook, take a look at the gift shop. As always, “comment…as you see fit.” I earn a small payment when you click on any ad on the site.
4/28/25
2 comments
Forbes used to have an interesting small museum in this building, the Forbes Gallery. Long gone, alas.
You were close, but the actual Yogi quote is “You can observe a lot by watching.”