MuseumCast: The New York Transit Museum Podcast Series

For a small local subway stop, the Bleecker Street IRT station generated a lot of discussion as it was being designed and built. Bleecker Street station opened in 1904. Designed by the firm Heins amp LaFarge, Bleecker Street owes many of its characteristics to the IRTs chief engineer, William Barclay Parsons, and its chief financier, August Belmont. Today, it is one of the stations designated as an Interior Landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.Like most local 1904 stations, the original station was 200 feet long by 55 feet wide. Bleecker Street station sits close to the street surface, affording it one of its most striking features an infusion of natural light. Today the station is lit primarily by florescent lights and it is difficult to appreciate the effect of natural light, which is all but totally blocked. The original glass skylights let in an impressive amount of light from the street, easing riders into their underground journey. This use of natural light was an important design element to Heins amp LaFarge, but it had limited use. Sunlight was supplemented with incandescent singlebulb fixtures. As you will notice, some of these can still be seen today above and to the side of the name plaques.These faience plaques are, in a word, stunning. Here, Heins and Lafarge deviated from the dictate to develop designs that would be reused at other stations. The eight plaques in the Bleecker Street station are unique in their large size, oval shape, and spectacular cobalt blue color. Manufactured by Grueby Faience Company of Boston, they evoke a presence that no other station ceramics do. The green and blue ceramic surrounding the plaque are more typical of Heins amp LaFarges station design. The scrolls and rosette, while lovely, are elements that can be seen elsewhere in the system. Along the top of the wall are additional ceramic elements that can be seen in other stations. Cartouche plaques appear every fifteen feet. They are a matching blue with a white B and are similar to those that were designed for many other stations, including 110th, 116th, and Worth Streets. Why did Bleecker Street receive special ceramic treatment Were not positive, but the diary of William Barclay Parsons gives us a few hints. In July of 1902, Parsons instructed LaFarge to prepare plans for Bleecker Street as a type of commercial station. Parsons never spells out what he means by a commercial station but we can assume that he meant for the station to have large amounts of space available for advertisements. The area around Bleecker Street was already densely populated with businesses in 1904, and those businesses would want to grab the attention of subway riders. The debate over advertising in subway stations began even before the subway opened. August Belmont always intended for the stations to generate revenue through advertising, but he did not make that clear to the public or many of those working on subway construction. Parsons was unhappy with the decision, but came to his own version of a compromise. He told Belmont that he would be glad to urge a uniform system of advertising, provided posters were shut out. Parsons did not get his wish in the end posters in decorative frames appeared in the system almost immediately after it opened. Today, posters appear on the downtown platform in modern black frames.Bleecker Street was one of the stations on a press preview of the IRT almost eleven months before the subway opened to the public. According to the New York Sun, The Bleecker Street Station is practically finished. It is as spic and span as a model dairy, and as rich in dignified decoration as a Roman Bath. An involuntary cheer went up from the guests as these cars rolled up to the platforms.A century of water damage and steel dust from car wheels have taken a toll on the station. But there is good news on the horizon for Bleeker Street. Soon the station will undergo a massive renovation. The Heins amp LaFarge portion of the station will be returned to its original glory. Wherever possible, original finishes will be restored. New finishes will match the original. An additional link to the BroadwayLafayette IND station will be created by a 300 foot extension of the Bleeker Street uptown platform and opening the east mezzanine of BroadwayLafayette. The stations will also be made ADA accessible, an impressive modern addition to this historic station.

The New York subway isnt the worlds oldest that distinction goes to Budapest or even Americas oldest. Boston beat us by a few years. But New York is unique in that its subway was the first to have both local and express tracks. Brooklyn BridgeCity Hall station was the southern most express station when the subway opened on October 27, 1904. At that time, the station was simply called quotBrooklyn Bridge.quot Todays name reflects a change that happened in 1945. The too small and underused, but beautiful City Hall local station, closed. Passenger service for that stop shifted to Brooklyn Bridge, which became the southern most terminus for the 6 train. Standing in the Brooklyn Bridge station today, it is difficult to appreciate the artistic detail that architects Heins amp LaFarge brought to the original station design. Many of those details were lost to the public during a series of renovations beginning in 1910. A platform extension in 1962 widened the island platforms and sealed off the original side platforms. While most of what you see in the station is modern, if you look in the right places, youll see remnants of the 1904 station.Original station ceramics remain intact on the eastern wall of the uptown platforms mezzanine area near the exit to the Municipal Building. Running along the top of the walls, spaced about fifteen feet apart, are plaques made by Grueby Faience Company of Boston. Inside a yellow molded border and green background are backtoback Bs, standing for Brooklyn Bridge.But a more interesting original ceramic detail is now hidden from public view. Heins amp LaFarge designed a stately eagle with a shield bearing the backtoback Bs. Similar eagles are found at the 33rd and 14th Street stations. The 33rd Street eagle paid homage to the 71st Regimental Armory that once stood above the 33rd Street station. Neither Brooklyn Bridge nor 14th Street had armories, so the use of the eagle is slightly cryptic. Is it purely decorative Or did Heins amp LaFarge have a specific reason for using the eagle here. We arent sure. Both the 33rd and 14th Street pieces were produced by Grueby Faience Company of Boston and were made from fifteenpart molds. But here at Brooklyn Bridge, the piece was made from a sevenpart mold. Does that mean that Grueby was not the manufacturer Were not sure. The remaining eagles are in an area that is no longer accessible to the public.In the plaza above ground, you will see the Brooklyn BridgeCity Hall stations tribute to the original Heins amp LaFarge stations. Take the elevator on the mezzanine to the street level, and youll exit in an interesting vestibule. Do any elements of this look familiar Maybe not to us, but they would have to a rider of the subway in 1904. The elevator vestibule is based on the original subway entrance kiosk. The domed roof and fanciful scrollwork reference these kiosks, which themselves were based on the entries of the Budapest subway, called kushks. Clearly, contemporary subway architects remain fascinated with, and impressed by, their predecessors.

What is your favorite subway station The one you used while living at your first home in the city The one with lots of trains lines, making it easy to transfer from line to line Or maybe its the one that the New York Times once called the quotMona Lisa of subway stations.quot Yes, you heard correctly. A subway station likened to famous artwork. What station might that be City Hall. City Hall Station was the systems flagship in 1904. It is here that the subway began its run north into Manhattan and the Bronx. How else is City Hall unique It is the only instance where the original subway architects Heins amp LaFarge had the opportunity to carry out largescale architectural planning and design an entire station.The station is a remarkable brick and tile space. It contains high vaulted ceilings, faced in broad white terracotta tiles set off by green and brown tiles at the edges, and elaborate leaded glass skylights, arched over the curving loop tracks. Electric chandeliers, oak furnishings, and decorative faience plaques inscribed quotCity Hallquot add to the effect, but the station owes its design to its curved shape and materials.The most distinctive element of this shape is the ceiling vaults produced by the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company. Spanish architect Raphael Guastavino founded the company in 1889. By the time it closed in 1962, the company held 24 patents and had completed work in some of Americas most famous buildings, including the United States Supreme Court, Ellis Island, and Grand Central Terminal.Guastavinos famous timbrel vault ceilings are based on vernacular vaulting techniques used in Europe, but not well known in America. The vaults use terra cotta tiles less than an inch thick and six to twelve inches across set in three herringbonepattern courses between thin layers of Portland cement. In addition to being beautiful, the vaults were strong and fireproof. In 1901, Guastavino estimated the cost of the City Hall Station arches to be 11,296. The work was completed by mid1902.If you look up, youll see in addition to the Guastavino vaults stunning, complex skylights. These did not weather the years as well as most architectural elements in 1904 stations. Damaged beyond repair, the remaining skylights were removed by MTA in consultation with the Landmarks Conservancy in 2003. Architectural conservators replicated three sections of the lights, which were then reinstalled in the station. Those are what you see today.Despite its beauty, City Hall Station was closed to passengers in 1945. The short curved platform was incompatible with the longer trains used on the subway by the 1940s. Service in the area was shifted to nearby Brooklyn Bridge station.

With the opening of the Borough Hall subway station on January 9, 1908 Brooklyn and Manhattan were linked not only by a classic 19th century bridge, but by a 20th century engineering marvel. The Borough Hall station was one of four to open as part of the IRT subways contract II construction into Brooklyn. The others were Hoyt Street, Nevins Street, and Atlantic Avenue. Today Borough Hall is a sprawling station, with additional areas that opened in 1919. The original structure comprises the area where the 4 and 5 trains run, and the mezzanine area above those tracks. This original station was designed by the firm Heins amp LaFarge, the architects for the system from 1902 to 1908. Sadly, Heins did not live to see his work open in Brooklyn. He died in 1907.The subway executives and city leaders who built the subway were proud of the Brooklyn extension, seeing it as just the beginning of the subways journey in transforming the borough. This pride can be seen as soon as you enter the station. On the mezzanine level on the north wall of the downtown platform, are two bronze plaques celebrating the extension into Brooklyn. One plaque reads The first Rapid Transit Railroad constructed in the Borough of Brooklyn begun by the Board of Rapid Transit Commissioners in the year 1902 Completed by the Public Service Commission for the first District in the year 1908. The other reads This plaque is erected to commemorate the opening of the first subway uniting the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. January 9, 1908. The only other station featuring IRT commemorative plaques was City Hall, the flagship of New Yorks 1904 subway system. Both sets of plaques are bronze, a popular material in the early stations. At Borough Hall, the plaques are incorporated into large mosaic tablets featuring an elaborate floral and swag design. The mosaic tablets provide a preview of the beautiful ceramics in the rest of the original Borough Hall station. The ceramics along with those for the rest of the stations opening between 1904 and 1908 are designed in the BeauxArts style that was popular at the time. The ceramics on the walls of the Brooklynbound platform remain in very good condition. The station name is laid out in white in a flat mosaic tablet surrounded by decorative green tiles, and decorative patterns beyond. A square motif contrasts with curves of swags and rosettes in shades of blue, green, red, and cream. In the interest of saving time and money, this station plaque is similar to those that were designed at Wall, Fulton, and 33rd Street stations in Manhattan on todays 23 line. Directly above the name plaque is a unique piece of faience, or glazed terra cotta. The threedimensional keystone design contains a cornucopia, or horn of plenty, which was a popular symbol of prosperity in the 19th century. Another unique piece of threedimensional faience can be seen in intervals along the top of the station walls. The letters BH are surrounded by a wreath and scrollwork. A thin line of green faience molding in a massproduced egganddart pattern sits at the top of the BH faience, and below this molding and encircling the BH is another thin band of green beadandreel molding. Grueby Faience Company of Boston, Massachusetts, produced these ceramics. They were famous for this particular shade of green. It was used in many of their popular arts and crafts pottery pieces that today are much soughtafter by collectors. Below the ceramics, the base sections of the walls are pink marble. The extensive use of this expensive material speaks to the importance of the Brooklyn station most station walls were made of brick. If you have an observant eye, you might have noticed small square openings in the marble. At one time these contained small brass weephole grilles. These graceful brass pieces allowed moisture to seep out of the walls. While the ceramics illustrate the BeauxArts school of design employed by Heins amp LaFarge, one important feature of the station is out of character with the rest of this style the station benches. The benches you see in the station are reproductions of the originals and reflect the Arts and Crafts style, not BeauxArt. Arts and Crafts was growing in popularity in the US and Europe at the time, and heavily influenced later subway station architecture and design, including the 23 and MR sections of this station. To learn more about these parts of the station, visit our Squire Vickers Borough Hall podcast.

Today, the Atlantic Avenue subway station rivals Times Square in size and complexity. And like Times Square, Atlantic Avenue was a very different station when it first opened. In 1908 Atlantic Avenue opened as one of the first four stations in Brooklyn. The others were Borough Hall, Hoyt Street, and Nevins Street. All of these were designed by the firm Heins amp LaFarge, who also designed the first stations that opened in 1904.The original station is the space that now serves the number 2 and 3 lines, with the eastern side open to the MTA Long Island Rail Road terminal. The 4 and 5 trains run through the center of this area. The platforms were built to be 530 feet long, but very quickly, demand made it necessary to expand. In the teens, a 135foot platform extension was added. Today, the subway and LIRR stations share the same fare control area and street entrances.The ceramics at the Brooklyn bound platform of the Atlantic Avenue station are a mix of historic elements, and elements from contemporary renovations. Which were designed by Heins amp LaFarge Look towards the top of any wall and youll see. A few original yellow and green cartouches containing the letter A flanked by tulips dot the station. Do these look familiar If youve traveled through many of the original subway stations, it will. The same design can be seen at the Spring, Bleecker, and 110th Street stations in Manhattan. Why repeat designs at seemingly unrelated stations The answer is simple and timeless a tight budget. Heins amp LaFarge were constantly being urged to reduce the expense of stations, and they did so by producing identical ceramics using reusable plaster molds. For example, the top scrolls and main body of the cartouches were made from the same mold as those for other IRT stations. Only the station identification in the center and glaze colors are different. Fabricating the plaques in sections was less expensive and had additional benefits smaller and lighter pieces dried faster, were easier to install, and not likely to warp.These ceramics were made by Atlantic Terra Cotta Company, the largest producer of architectural terra cotta in the world in the early 1900s. With four plants two in New Jersey, one in Staten Island, and one in Georgia the company manufactured largescale orders for many famous skyscrapers, including the Flatiron and Woolworth Buildings. When the station was expanded in the teens, the architects didnt replicate the original cartouches, but they used them as inspiration. The 1910 construction contract mandated that the new ceramics harmonize with the station of which it is to form a part. On the Brooklyn bound 23 platform, the same A and tulip design is produced in mosaic tiles. Unlike the original ceramics, these mosaics are flat, making them easier to keep clean.Despite its name, the subway is not completely below ground. While most early stations had ornate castiron and glass entry and exit kiosks, superstructures today called control houses were built at five stations in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn here at Atlantic Avenue. These buildings allowed Heins amp LaFarge the opportunity to design a full, though tiny, building. The inspiration for the control houses might have been one found in the Boston subway, which New York subway designers visited in 1901. To see the Atlantic Avenue control house, take the LIRR exit and head towards Hanson Place. At the intersection of Atlantic, Flatbush, and 4th Avenues, sits the original control house. The 50 x 37 foot BeauxArts building of Roman brick and limestone structure sits demurely on a granite base, surrounded by the busy Brooklyn streets. The colorful terra cotta cartouche and gabled roof stands in great contrast to the modern architecture and heavy traffic surrounding the building. Though the building is no longer used as a station entrance, it stands as a reminder to the subway and Brooklyn of last century. And the pigeons seem to really enjoy it, tooToday, just as when it opened, Atlantic Avenue is a busy transportation hub. From 19081920, it was the furthest subway station in Brooklyn. Beyond this station, travelers had to rely on trolley cars or their own feet to get deeper into the borough.

Since November 1904, elevated stations of the subway system have dotted the landscape of the Bronx. And thanks to these stations, the area quickly became a popular residential area for the citys uppermiddle class. In 1899, The American Real Estate Company bought an 86acre tract in the Bronx. Although much of the land was then sold to developers, they built stores and apartment buildings near the Simpson Street station. A real estate advertisement from the time said, Certainly no part of New York is as attractive as the Bronx. And now that the subway is completed, no residential area in New York is more convenient. At the corner of Westchester and Southern Boulevard at the Simpson Street station of the subway we have completed a number of strictly high class elevator apartments.What kind of station was worthy of being a part of this posh landscape Simpson Street has a more traditionally Victorian design than most of the subway. In their design, architects Heins amp LaFarge were inspired by the existing Manhattan elevated railway stations. As with most elevated stations on the IRT, Simpson Street stations most distinctive feature is the control houses used for passenger entry. The two buildings are set diagonally from one another, 70 feet apart, and their facades sit 20 feet above street level.The general size and style of the control houses has not changed in the past century. One of their most distinctive features is their roofs. They are low hanging hipped roofs, with all four roof faces rising to a ridge across the top. As a result, the front slope has a broader face than the narrow side sections. They were built with steel framing and wood siding, and covered in copper. The exterior walls were also covered in copper. Copper has been used as a waterproof roofing material for centuries. Since it is also resistant to corrosion, malleable, and strong under stress, it worked well as a material for the control houses. The copper is painted brick red, and is decorated with a fleurdelis decoration on the bracketed eaves. The downtown control house, on the north side of Westchester Avenue, retains much of this original detail.To enter the control houses, passengers walk through central bays on their street side. These bays project onto the sidewalk, and extend to the control house roof line. Inside, the tall spaces are spanned by two steel arches.Steel and cast iron stairways and original castiron IRT lampposts lead passengers up to the station platforms. The stair canopies also have gabled roofs. They have typical IRT station ironwork details, including a C scroll pattern that Heins amp LaFarge also used in brass and on castiron interior decoration. Though some stations originally had elevators, Simpson Street did not. The ones you see here were installed in the 1980s.On the platforms, the dominant station feature is the windscreen, installed to protect passengers and their belongings from the elements. These modern windscreens span about half of the platform. Sadly, these windscreens block the view of many of the original IRT railings and lampposts. But on the ends of the platform you can still see the ornamental railings and lampposts designed by Heins amp LaFarge. These highly ornamental lampposts were made possible because of the economics of massproduction in cast iron production. Details like this can help us conjure up images of the idyllic Bronx landscapes that delighted real estate developers in the early 20th century.

As you make way through the Times Square subway complex near the 41st Street and Seventh Avenue entrance, you will be greeted by two large scale mosaic murals created by artist Jack Beal. Arts for Transit commissioned Beal to create the artwork for the reconfigured passageway. The murals were completed in 2001 and 2005 respectively together they are a poignant representation of hope and renewal. Entitled The Return of Spring and The Onset of Winter, the work is based on the ancient Greek myth about Persephone as a metaphor for seasonal changes. Persephone, goddess of Spring, was abducted by Hades who is god of underworld. According to the agreement made between Hades and Demeter, Persephones mother and goddess of earth and agriculture, Persephone was allowed to return to earth and her mother for the rest of eternity provided that she ate nothing before leaving the Underworld. Persephone, however, spied a pomegranate on the way out and she could not resist taking a bite. Having tasted the pomegranate, Persephone was forced to renegotiate. As part of the deal, she was permitted to spend six months on earth, as in The Return of Spring, but must spend the other six down below, hence The Onset of Winter.Lets take a close look at the murals. Beals modern day interpretation of the myth is set adjacent to a subway entrance and a produce market. On the South mezzanine wall, The Return of Spring depicts Persephone reemerging from the underworld to join her mother. Carrying a bag of sunny, yellow daffodils, the springtime symbol, her return reinvigorates the fruits on the shelf of the market. A group of workers at the left are digging a passageway to open up the underworld. Meanwhile, Dante, the writer who famously observed the underworld, is visible in a green coat to watch the goingson. On the North mezzanine wall, The Onset of Winter completes the story. The second mural depicts a rueful Persephone at the top of the stairs, knowing she must descend but not wanting to leave her life on earth. According to Beal, the figure of Persephone quottwists in agony at the top of the stairs, knowing that she must go but wishing that she could stay.quot At the same time, a group of spectators and a film crew are present to document Persephones struggle. The Artist, his wife, and a group of friends were models for the characters in both murals. For example, the worker with a jackhammer on the far left side of The Return of Spring appears to be the artist himself. A friend serves as Orpheus, a poet and musician, who is heading down the stairs with his lyre case. Even Beals dog is shown witnessing Persephones descent in The Onset of WinterBeal captured the appearance of his models in an oil painting made to the scale of the intended mosaic. The Travisanutto Workshop in Italy translated the painting into small glass tiles. The mural was then fabricated in several sections and installed by Miotto Mosaics Art Studios with the help of New York City Transit. Like every project Arts for Transit commissions, this work is a closely collaborated effort among the artist, the fabricator, and the MTA. Beals use of the subway to illustrate the classical myth and its relationship between the aboveground and the underground provide an interesting counterpoint to the activity swirling in the station. Coming out of the abstract expressionist movement, Jack Beal is among a group of artists who sought to reintroduce realism into the vocabulary of 20th century contemporary art. In the early 1960s, he daringly abandoned abstract expressionism for realism. He is best known for his paintings, murals and fine draftsmanship. He often stated, I will never be satisfied until I obtain the believability of the seventeenth century Dutch painters. Interestingly, now his focus has turned back to abstraction.As with Roy Lichtenstein and Jacob Lawrence, place and time a particular place and moment, but with an implied universality are the theme to understand the Jack Beal murals in the public space. Time passes, people and things come and go, but there is always a deacutejagrave vu quality lurking just beneath the surface.

As you make way through the Times Square subway complex near the 41st Street and Seventh Avenue entrance, you will be greeted by two large scale mosaic murals created by artist Jack Beal. Arts for Transit commissioned Beal to create the artwork for the reconfigured passageway. The murals were completed in 2001 and 2005 respectively together they are a poignant representation of hope and renewal. Entitled The Return of Spring and The Onset of Winter, the work is based on the ancient Greek myth about Persephone as a metaphor for seasonal changes. Persephone, goddess of Spring, was abducted by Hades who is god of underworld. According to the agreement made between Hades and Demeter, Persephones mother and goddess of earth and agriculture, Persephone was allowed to return to earth and her mother for the rest of eternity provided that she ate nothing before leaving the Underworld. Persephone, however, spied a pomegranate on the way out and she could not resist taking a bite. Having tasted the pomegranate, Persephone was forced to renegotiate. As part of the deal, she was permitted to spend six months on earth, as in The Return of Spring, but must spend the other six down below, hence The Onset of Winter.Lets take a close look at the murals. Beals modern day interpretation of the myth is set adjacent to a subway entrance and a produce market. On the South mezzanine wall, The Return of Spring depicts Persephone reemerging from the underworld to join her mother. Carrying a bag of sunny, yellow daffodils, the springtime symbol, her return reinvigorates the fruits on the shelf of the market. A group of workers at the left are digging a passageway to open up the underworld. Meanwhile, Dante, the writer who famously observed the underworld, is visible in a green coat to watch the goingson. On the North mezzanine wall, The Onset of Winter completes the story. The second mural depicts a rueful Persephone at the top of the stairs, knowing she must descend but not wanting to leave her life on earth. According to Beal, the figure of Persephone quottwists in agony at the top of the stairs, knowing that she must go but wishing that she could stay.quot At the same time, a group of spectators and a film crew are present to document Persephones struggle. The Artist, his wife, and a group of friends were models for the characters in both murals. For example, the worker with a jackhammer on the far left side of The Return of Spring appears to be the artist himself. A friend serves as Orpheus, a poet and musician, who is heading down the stairs with his lyre case. Even Beals dog is shown witnessing Persephones descent in The Onset of WinterBeal captured the appearance of his models in an oil painting made to the scale of the intended mosaic. The Travisanutto Workshop in Italy translated the painting into small glass tiles. The mural was then fabricated in several sections and installed by Miotto Mosaics Art Studios with the help of New York City Transit. Like every project Arts for Transit commissions, this work is a closely collaborated effort among the artist, the fabricator, and the MTA. Beals use of the subway to illustrate the classical myth and its relationship between the aboveground and the underground provide an interesting counterpoint to the activity swirling in the station. Coming out of the abstract expressionist movement, Jack Beal is among a group of artists who sought to reintroduce realism into the vocabulary of 20th century contemporary art. In the early 1960s, he daringly abandoned abstract expressionism for realism. He is best known for his paintings, murals and fine draftsmanship. He often stated, I will never be satisfied until I obtain the believability of the seventeenth century Dutch painters. Interestingly, now his focus has turned back to abstraction.As with Roy Lichtenstein and Jacob Lawrence, place and time a particular place and moment, but with an implied universality are the theme to understand the Jack Beal murals in the public space. Time passes, people and things come and go, but there is always a deacutejagrave vu quality lurking just beneath the surface.

Located at the very heart of the city, deep below Times Square at 42nd Street is Lichtensteins last public work, Times Square Mural, installed in 2002 after a long, but successful collaboration. Lichtenstein was originally invited to design a work of art for the station in 1989. The original collage was designed in 1990 and the initial contract was signed in 19991, but the project was delayed. The artwork was fabricated by the artist in conjunction with Windsor Fireform and Polich Art Works in 1994. The work was stored by the artist and, later by his Estate until 2002 when it was installed on a long and high mezzanine wall where the IRT and BMT subway lines intersect. The work is porcelain enamel on steel and consists of 16 panels, measuring 61 x 534 long.The project was created as a gift from the artist to the people of New York. The giant mural captures the bustling and frenetic spirit of the subway and its environment. The work is a visual feast with nods to both the past and future, with its wealth of retrofuturistic imagery. Lichtensteins work here references historic subway architectural ornament, Art Deco design, the 1939 and 1964 Worlds Fairs, classic scifi comic strips, and more.The central image is a familiar Beaux Arts 42nd Street sign designed by architects Heins amp LaFarge for the original 1904 subway station. Allusions to historic subway mosaics and the unique archways of the original ornate City Hall station are visible on the far left. Running through the center of the mural is a winged capsuleshaped car, reminiscent of illustrations from the Buck Rogers comics by Dirk Calkins and Murphy Anderson dating back to 1948. The car winds it way underground, past an imagined landscape that reminds us of Lichtensteins drawings of Trylon and Perisphere, two geometric sturcutures designed by Harrison amp Fouilhoux Architects for New Yorks 1939 Worlds Fair whose theme was Building the World of Tomorrow. The artist also includes the famous Unisphere from the subsequent space aged 1964 Worlds Fair. On the far right of the mural, we see the profile of a figure reminiscent of Buck Rogers himself, drawing the viewers eye into the picture to survey the collage of future and history layered upon each other.In addition, Lichtenstein provides us with references to and variations on his earlier work. For instance, the futuristic transporter can be directly linked to his painting Emeralds and also his abstract ships in his New York State Mural images. The architectural ornament is adapted from his Entablatures of the 1970s. And he has taken the building and billboard forms from a combination of his Imperfect paintings and his Modern series that began with his poster for the Lincoln Center Film Festival of 1966. Lichtenstein was a true Son of the City. He was born in New York, in 1923 studied at the Parsons School of Design and the Art Students League and died here, in 1997. His work is often viewed as emblematic of midtwentieth century New York, particularly Manhattan, with its emphasis on surface, large scale, mass marketing, and modernistic design. For another view of Times Square, visit artwork by Jacob Lawrence, Jack Beal and Toby Buonagurio located throughout the station.

When you think of Times Square, what first comes to mind Rowdy New Years Eve celebrations Street vendors selling hot dogs and pretzels Magic tricks and threecard monte Billboards and neon lights that brighten the night sky The list goes on and on. Whatever the case, chances are you will find them in the artwork, titled Times Square 35 Times, located along the glass block wall at the Times Square passageway. A lifelong New Yorker, artist Toby Buonagurio used to think of the Times Square subway station as the very center of the universe. When Buonagurio received the commission to create artwork for the station in 1988, she turned the glass block wall on the lower mezzanine into a theatrical display to showcase her childhood fantasy about the heart of New York City. Times Square 35 Times is composed of thirtyfive ceramic relief panels, each installed in an illuminated shadowbox in a wall of glass block. The glass block wall connects the 7th Avenue subway lines with the Broadway and 8th Avenue lines at the station. As you hustle through the passageway, you may want to slow down and catch a glimpse of the glittering figures that remind us of Times Squares myriad of wonders both high and low. The colorful ceramic figures are brought vividly to life as the result of the artists close observation and depictions of people, places, and objects. Buonagurio made multiple visits to the Times Square area to capture the parade of life by day and night, all of which became the source materials for the creation of Times Square 35 Times. The images were then carefully selected, edited, and translated into clay. Finally, abundant color and surface are applied as the final touch to intensify the visual and whimsical quality of these ceramic reliefs.The figures in the artwork can be easily recognized. They are divided into three main themes Performing Arts, Fashion, and Street Life, each reflect the vigorous activities that energize midtown Manhattan. The Performing Arts theme includs theater, musical performance, cinema and light entertainment. The Fashion theme refers to the array of mens and womens clothing, jewelry and accessories. Finally, the Street Life is depicted with daytoday scenes such as billboards, street vendors, and colorful people. Each relief sculpture is a unique depiction of the hustlebustle atmosphere of everyday activities in the Times Square area.Toby Buonagurio has worked as a ceramic sculptor for almost 30 years. She has been a faculty member at State University of New York in Stony Brook. Buonagurio is best known for her vividly colored offbeat ceramic work, which often included tongueincheek or satirical overtones. To the artist, common images are important symbols of American culture. As with Buonagurios other work, the inherent sense of irony and humor is evident in Times Square 35 Times. The artwork joined other works by Roy Lichtenstein, Jacob Lawrence, and Jack Beal, at Times Square in 2005. Taken together, these works are an historic and artistic journey through time at a transportation hub in a city that never sleeps.

Architects of the New York City SubwayHeins amp LaFarge and the Tradition of Great Public WorksGeorge Lewis Heins and Christopher Grant LaFarge were friends, MIT classmates, brothersinlaw, and business partners. For 21 years, their architectural firm Heins amp LaFarge undertook prestigious building commissions both public and private in the Northeast, including the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the Astor Court buildings at the Bronx Zoo. But none would be more visible than their work on New York Citys first subway. From 1901 to 1908, the firm designed the underground station interiors, elevated stations, control houses, and entry kiosks for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company or IRT subway.Like many public works, the first concern in building the subway was function, but aesthetics were also important. The original IRT contract specified that the subway embody attractive design, even beauty. Heins amp LaFarge brought a strong BeauxArts sensibility to the subway. This style popular in both the United States and Europe stressed classical influences. To this end, Greek and Roman architectural motifs and materials were incorporated into this most modern of projects. With strict limits of space, budget, and time, Heins amp LaFarge made a simple and versatile element color the centerpiece of the firms work. Using colorful ceramics, the architects satisfied the IRT contracts insistence that the stations be bright and cheerful, while giving each one a distinctive look. Though Heins amp LaFarge designed less than fifteen percent of the stations in use today, their impact on the New York City subway is unmistakable. Their stations in the citys great public work are stunning examples of BeauxArts architecture and design, setting the standard for decades of subway architects to come.