This was a tough photo to get.
The monument to Cornelius Vanderbilt, by Ernst Plassmann (1823 – 1877), resides at the south facade of Grand Central Terminal, where the Park Avenue Viaduct wraps around the nation's busiest railroad station and other buildings. If pedestrians approach the work of art from Park Avenue, though, the viaduct provides little pavement for them to walk as cars and taxis whiz by ceaselessly.
Not content to risk my life, I walked instead to 42nd Street, where the viaduct spans over the road. I stepped back, on the sidewalk across the street from the terminal, where the monument becomes visible. I used my Nikon’s zoom lens to capture Vanderbilt, a faded bronze figure that stands on a 9-foot pedestal at almost the same height.
The actual Vanderbilt (1794-1877), of course, was once among the wealthiest men in America, after he grew up in poverty and earned his millions in transportation. He started as a youth with sailboats, followed by steamboats, after which, late in his life, he made the switch to railroads.
As art writer Dianne Durante notes in her essay about the sculpture in her excellent book Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: “Rightly proud of having worked his way up from poverty, he wears a bulky double-breasted coat with fur lapels and cuffs.”
Thankfully, her essay, which can be read in full here, provides directions on how to reach the monument with less peril. Now, a return trip is in order. Stay tuned.