Whether you consider Christopher Columbus a hero or a villain, there’s one thing we can all hopefully get behind: some circa-1904 artistic images at the Columbus Circle subway station.
Behold the blue, green, and off-white faience plaques depicting the Santa Maria, the largest of the three sailing ships Columbus commanded on his first voyage in search of a shorter route to the Far East, according to this 1979 Landmarks Preservation Committee report.
These restored sailing ship reliefs (the second image dates to 2011, as the restoration was in progress) line the platform of today’s 1 train, one of the original stops on the IRT that opened in 1904.
City subway stops celebrate all kinds of nautical images—like at Fulton Street, where Robert Fulton’s steamboat is immortalized on the platform of the 4 and 5 trains.
Tags: 59th Street Subway Station, Christopher Columbus NYC, Columbus Circle, Columbus Circle Subway Station, Columbus Day in New York City, subway art, subway faience
Ephemeral New York 
October 8, 2018 at 4:21 pm |
I always liked those stunning mosaics on the original IRT subway line.
October 9, 2018 at 2:51 am |
So much fascinating stuff
here, I could (and will!) Spend hours viewing it!
October 9, 2018 at 7:08 pm |
I’ve always thought they should sell ceramic copies of these mosaics.
October 10, 2018 at 3:33 am |
Thanks Patti! And I agree, I’m captivated by these mosaics. I’d consider buying a well-done reproduction, but I’d love it even more if I stumbled across a bunch of originals on their way to the landfill in some misguided renovation attempt.