If you go to the brownstone at 52 East 80th Street between Madison & Park…
…you’ll see the decapitated limestone head of a Greco-Roman goddess in the front yard next to some trash barrels (gives you some perspective on its size).
What does this sculpture have to do with New York’s incredible Ziegfeld Theater?
This head is the only remnant of the old Ziegfeld that one can still see on a New York City street.
The Ziegfeld Theater, one of New York City’s premier “movie palaces,” opened in 1927 and had a glorious life as a movie theater, TV studio, and Broadway theater until it was torn down in 1966 to make way for this piece of shit:
According to the Ziegfeld’s Wikipedia entry, this head was originally located on the front of the theater, though I’m not exactly sure where.
How did it come to be here? Apparently, 52 East 80th was once owned by Jerry Hammer, a theatrical producer. In the 1960s, he was riding past the Ziegfeld in a car with shithead developer Zachary Fisher, who mentioned he was tearing it down. Hammer jokingly asked if he could have one of the limestone heads. Four months later, he heard noises outside of his Upper East Side home – it was a truck lowering the head by crane into his front yard. Hammer moved out of the place in 1998 but left the head behind.
Are those two heads on either side of the upper balcony? Can’t tell…
In 1969, a second Ziegfeld opened up a few hundred feet from the original, and while the exterior is a mind-blowingly bland compared to the original, the interior is actually one of the nicest places you can see a movie in New York.
High praise to Hammer for asking for the head, and also for leaving it behind for New York to enjoy. Definitely swing by 52 East 80th Street if you’re in the area to see the last remaining piece of the once great Ziegfeld.
-SCOUT
PS – That’s a pretty sick window array on the second floor of that brownstone.
She looks a bit like Sarah Jessica Parker…
So sad that amazing building is gone.
Hi Scout-
The “piece of shit” that you show is on Seventh Avenue. The original Ziegfeld Theater was on Sixth Avenue (replaced by an even shittier looking piece of shit than you’ve shown.)
Oh, man, this is the sort of post that makes me love your blog so much, Scout! What a great find, and what terrific research.
A tragedy that those old movie palaces were destroyed, and I’m on board with losing the strikethroughs on “shithead.”
I’ve seen that bay window before, and admired it, but never knew about the head in the garden. Thank you so much! This is why you are must-read blogging!
[...] Decapitation at the Ziegfeld [...]
Hi,
My name is Nadia Chaudhury, and I’m a writer for The L Magazine (www.thelmagazine.com). We’re doing a photoessay where we’re going to look back at old New York institutions and see what replaced them, and I would love to be able to use these images of the original Ziegfeld. If you could point me to where you got ‘em, I’d greatly appreciate it. You can email me at nadia@thelmagazine.com.
Thanks a lot,
Nadia Chaudhury
Brownstone — 52 East 80th Street between Madison & Park — incredible!
[...] Decapitation at the Ziegfeld [...]
[...] Decapitation at the Ziegfeld [...]
Very interesting research! i didn’t know anything about this head. I always thought it was very sad that this movie palaces were torn down.
Joe’s right, I used to live in the building that you’ve stated replaced the Ziegfeld. In fact, it was more of a contemporary…they would’ve shared the block for many years. Its penthouse was allegedly the home of George White, one of Ziegfeld’s competitors, as well as Michael Stewart, who wrote the book to, among other shows, “Hello, Dolly!” and also housed the offices of the composer Cy Coleman. The building at the other end of 54th Street, with the hideous fountains, is where the Ziegfeld was.
Just came across this article. I used to walk by that head all the time when I lived in the neighborhood. The first time I saw it it startled me just by being so big. I appreciate it so much more with the info. Thanks!
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[...] June 17, 2010 · Leave a Comment THS Member BOB ASHLEY is the all time king of obscure internet info. He shared this link from the spectacular Scouting NY website. A quirky little story about how a chunk of the original Ziegfeld Theatre remained in NYC for all to enjoy. http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=871 [...]
I agree with you that what replaced the Ziegfeld is a piece of shit, But the replacement you picture was most likely built in the 1930s …(as .Joe R. comments) that building is on 7th. The Ziegfield was on the NW corner of 6th Ave and 54th St. Now a black glass skyscraper. The theater’s location on 6th Ave, far from the traditional cluster of Time Sq Broadway theaters, help lead to it’s demise.
[...] ✸ Scouting New York is the wonderful photo-blog of a location scout who has a knack for finding the strangest and most amazing places. Hidden In An Abandoned Orphanage The Wizard Of Park Ave Decapitation at the Ziegfeld [...]