Harlem Bespoke: We never really got a close look a the decorative sculpture at the facade of the historic Dunbar apartments up by 149th Street until recently. The landmark complex was originally built by the philanthropic Rockefeller family as coop housing for the the emerging middle class African American community in the 1920s and is one of the rare classical facades in Harlem that has black figurative bas relief-art out front. Especially notable is the musical muse with braided hair at the lower photo with tiny wings and two other profiles peering over the heroic man's shoulder. There might be some more art elsewhere within the Dunbar which has a handsome center courtyard and spans from 7th to 8th Avenue but that is for another day to discover.
HarlemBespoke.com 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment