The Bailey Fountain in Grand Army Plaza. Thanks to Anthony Tassi for sharing today's shot.
And while we're focusing on the fountain, here's a few interesting tidbits about it from the NYC Parks Department:
- It is named after Brooklyn-based financier and philanthropist Frank Bailey (1865-1953) and his wife Mary Louise Bailey, who donanted $125,000 to build it in the late 1920s.
- It was preceded by two other fountains. In 1897, five years after the erection in 1892 of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in the plaza, the original fountain--eroded and often inoperative--was removed, and a new “electric” fountain designed by F.W. Darlington was installed. However, the replacement fountain was dismantled in 1915 to allow for the construction of the subway lines beneath the plaza.
- Architect Edgerton Swarthout and sculptor Eugene Savage designed the fountain, which was completed in 1932.
- The central bronze sculptures include male and female figures atop the prow of a ship, representing Wisdom and Felicity, surrounded by Neptune, his attendant Triton, and a boy holding a cornucopia. The base is made of large stones imbedded in the foundation, and additional decorative elements with sea motifs adorn the pedestal.
See a photo-worthy Prospect Heights moment? Snap a picture on your phone and e-mail it to Amy.Clark@patch.com and I'll put it on the site. (Or, even better, Upload it to our Pics & Clips section).
