"Civic Virtue," the statue incorporated into the design of a fountain that sits outside borough hall, is falling apart and seems to have no saviors:Hard Times Fall on an Ill-Loved Hero
Photos from the Bridge and Tunnel Club document the evidence of neglect.
Interesting how even our borough president feels it's acceptable to allow public art to crumble and along with it, the image of the county. Why not move him to Flushing Meadows so he can live amongst the ruins of other Queens symbols that city officials would prefer to have fall down?
Photo from Bridge and Tunnel Club
7 comments:
Ever notice that if something is put up in Brooklyn or Manhattan, it looks better over time.
In Queens, if something looks nice you can bet it was put up very recently. It is heart breaking to see time and again, something nice (a house, a restaurant, a park) fall apart over time.
What is wrong with this borough? Are people so ground up that they become passive? Has our leadership become so disengaged this get by on mindless bromides?
I guess that "Virtue" is not in Helen Marshall's plan to upgrade Borough Hall!
That statue used to be in front of City Hall. Mayor La Guardia, I believe, didn't want it there and shoved it in Queens. Maybe we should return it. It does reflect the decay that typifies city government as a whole. What does the Arts Commision have to say?
I believe that the Civic Virtue should not be returned to its original City Hall site. It already has made its mark on Queens history, and Queens needs more landmarked buildings and monuments (whether official or unofficial). Another reason it should remain is to remind Marshall of her lack of attention. Its decay exemplifies how she's working against Queens citizens through her hands-off stance, and in turn, leading to decay of Queens (much of what we already see on Queens Crap). No more postponing...Time to do your homework, Ms. Marshall!
Don't get your "knickers in a bind". My suggestion of returning "Civic Virtue" to City Hall was meant to be sarcastic. Why not ask the "preservation group" (whatever it's called) that meets monthly at Borough Hall, to request the statue's preservation and designation as a landmark. Maybe they could do something useful for a change.This is a no brainer and an easy job for them to work on.
What a dope I am. "Civic Virtue" is like the" Portrait (statue in this case) of Dorian Gray". (Rent that old movie....it's a gas!) Whatever corruption that's going on inside Boro Hall is reflected on this statue! Donald Manes, during his tenure , put a lot of wear and tear on it. Then came Shulman and now Marshal. I don't think that "Civic Virtue" will last much longer. We'd better get rid of some of those crooks at Boro Hall damn quick before it falls down before their terms are up!
'Civic Virture' in front of 'Civic Vultures.'
LaGuardia knew exactly what he was doing when he sent it out to Queens. Wanted them all to see it every day.
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