Races of humanity

“Indians migrate to New York, now as in the past, for the same reason others do: to seek their fortunes. But beyond that, New York, an ancient place... more

by Sonali Gangane

Title

Races of humanity

Artist

Sonali Gangane

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

“Indians migrate to New York, now as in the past, for the same reason others do: to seek their fortunes. But beyond that, New York, an ancient place of exchange among Indians, has become a center of new thinking about Native cultures. The Hopi of Arizona have a prophecy of a time when they would travel to the east to meet with the nations of the world in a ‘house of mica.’ Through the exhibitions and programs of the National Museum of the American Indian's Heye Center, the custom house, too, is becoming a place for the exchange of ideas among peoples.”—W. Richard West
The custom house Gilbert built, in collaboration with other renowned artists and craftsmen, was begun in 1900 and completed in 1907. The vast seven-story structure, with its 450,000 square feet, covers three blocks in lower Manhattan, immediately south of Bowling Green at the foot of Broadway. The exterior features forty-four columns, each decorated with a head of Mercury, the Roman god of commerce. On the building's huge entrance pedestals are four large sculptures—seated female figures representing America, Asia, Europe, and Africa—by Daniel Chester French (1850–1931), who also created the statue of Abraham Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Above the columns of the main facade are twelve heroic statues representing the sea powers of Europe and the Mediterranean, while above the main-floor windows are sculpted heads symbolizing the races of humanity. The exterior also features a giant cartouche depicting the shield of the United States, with a serene head of Columbia, sculpted by Vincenzo Alfano (1854–1918) in 1903, presiding over the building's main entrance.
********************************************************************************************
Thanks for viewing.
2013©Sonali T.Gangane.
For more artworks please visit my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Sonali.T.ArtisticHues

Uploaded

October 11th, 2013