GAHS STORE: BOOKS
DESIGNS UNDERFOOT: THE ART OF MANHOLE COVERS
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Designs Underfoot: The Art of Manhole Covers in New York City
by Diana Stuart
400 evocative photographs of these relics of NYC's architectural heritage.
Overlooked for nearly two centuries, New York's manhole covers are at last
brought to the forefront in this book which traces the evolution of their
intricate designs and styles, and recounts the history of the city's iron
foundries that produced them. Through meticulous documentation, intriguing
history bites & 400 photographs, Stuart demonstrates how these mainstays of
city life, once thought of as mere utilitarian street hardware, are actually
sophisticated works of cast-iron art. These priceless and stunning designs
were produced in New York City by some of the same foundries that built
SoHo, TriBeCa, and beyond. These covers cap the infrastructure of the city
and Stuart highlights what was and is underground. A fascinating element of
NYC's streetscape, these decorative manhole covers are an inspiring
reflection of the creativity and attention of the foundries themselves and
sadly a dwindling relic of NYC's architectural history. Stuart is working
with the Landmarks Preservation Commission to get landmark designation for
these irreplaceable covers.
