We had seen an exhibit in Hamilton Heights on the lost works of African-American Wax Museum owner Raven Chanticleer and decided to check out the museum's location on West 115th Street (just west of FDB/8th Avenue). When approaching number 318 West 115th, we found the artist's gilded mask and sculptures adorned the ornate, terracotta trimmed facade along with colorful murals on the side stoop. Checking back on the history of the aritst, it turns out that number 316 (at right of top photo) was the actual museum but the artist's family moved into that space after his passing in 2002 and number 318 was Mr. Chanticleer's actual home. Up until 2005, the wax statues were said to have been stored in the house pictured but family members eventually destroyed them. Read our past post on the exhibit that celebrated one of Harlem's forgotten great artists:
LINK
We had seen an exhibit in Hamilton Heights on the lost works of African-American Wax Museum owner Raven Chanticleer and decided to check out the museum's location on West 115th Street (just west of FDB/8th Avenue). When approaching number 318 West 115th, we found the artist's gilded mask and sculptures adorned the ornate, terracotta trimmed facade along with colorful murals on the side stoop. Checking back on the history of the aritst, it turns out that number 316 (at right of top photo) was the actual museum but the artist's family moved into that space after his passing in 2002 and number 318 was Mr. Chanticleer's actual home. Up until 2005, the wax statues were said to have been stored in the house pictured but family members eventually destroyed them. Read our past post on the exhibit that celebrated one of Harlem's forgotten great artists: LINK
Ya know, for years, and I mean years, I've said to myself; "I really must take a look at Mr. Chanticleer's wax museum on W. 115th St." And now its too late. This is one of my big regrets. And I am profoundly sorry that the family did see the need to keep it going.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure that Harlem has lost and Oh what a blessing Mr. Chanticleer was.
The family ... destroyed some of his works? Incredible!
ReplyDeleteIn the late 1990s we lived around the corner from Raven Chanticleer (in a building owned by the infamous Barry Singer) and he was a wonderful neighborhood presence, with an amazing ability to charm our newborn baby. The museum was a deeply weird, wonderful place. I also remember his take on the gentrification of the neighborhood: "It doesn't matter to me if the people moving in are black or white. The two things that matter to me are: do they throw their trash on the sidewalk, and do they know about Duke Ellington and Joe Louis and Langston Hughes?"
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