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The Creepy Book-Reading Gargoyle at West 181st Street

04/17/2013

I was waiting at a light yesterday at the corner of 181st and Fort Washington Ave, when I happened to look up at the building on the corner…

…and noticed a line of human gargoyles perched near the top. But one in particular quickly caught my eye…

A very creepy book-reading gargoyle.

Here’s another angle. The glasses are a great touch – but what is he reading to provoke such a reaction??

There are two others. This guy…

…and this fellow:

In fact, that last guy looks frighteningly like one of the figures at 527 West 110th Street, which I wrote about four years ago…

Couldn’t find confirmation, but would not be at all surprised if they were by the same sculptor.

-SCOUT

Many more posts in the archives!

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Chicken Underwear

04/18/2013

saying creepy and human gargoyles is redundant.

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Adam

04/18/2013

these look kinda similar to the ones in the woolworth building

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Scott

04/18/2013

There are some similar gargoyles (or grotesques, really) on a building on 110th between Broadway and Amsterdam. Creepy (but kinda funny at the same time).

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1. Scout
  
  04/19/2013
  
  Ha, someone didn’t make it to the bottom of the post 😉
  
  Reply
Virginia

04/18/2013

Wonder if anyone’s thought of putting surveillance cameras in gargoyles.Creepy Big Brothers!

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Barbara

04/18/2013

I’m betting that each one is represents an actual person that was a predominant figure at the time.

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Laurel

04/18/2013

I’ve lived off of 181st and Fort Washington for six years and I love, love, LOVE these gargoyles. Thank you for sharing!

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Kat

04/18/2013

There are similar gargoyles on a building here in Toronto — similar faces (no glasses, though), and reading books. The building is a TV station’s studio space now, but it used to be a publishing house… and a Freemason Temple. I wonder if that connects up with the history of these buildings at all.

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Jessica

04/19/2013

http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=78244633@N00&q=grotesque

City College of New York has approximately 600 grotesques on a couple of its buildings. I’ve linked to my flickr account and some pictures that I took of them.

Someone else took a picture of another book-reading grotesque and put it on a blog
http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/the-book-reading-grotesque-of-city-college/

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Karen

04/19/2013

Just wanted to let you know that eyeglasses aren’t unknown in actual medieval imagery–see here:

http://www.meadowlarking.com/daily-photo-stone-spectacles/
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Friedrich_Herlin,_Reading_Saint_Peter_%281466%29.jpg
or
http://thepragmaticcostumer.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/pinching-your-nose-helping-your-eyes-pince-nez-from-the-15th-19th-century/

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Sean P. Fodera

04/19/2013

Despite working in publishing, the one with the book isn’t the one I find most intriguing. It’s the last one – the one holding what appears to be a whole roasted chicken. I had no idea Boston Market had been around so long.

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BabyDave

04/22/2013

In a similar vein:

http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/grotesque-readers-at-a-gramercy-public-school/

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Alexandra

03/29/2014

I found a great picture online at the Museum of the city of NY on their archives site. I hope this link works. http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult_VPage&VBID=24UAYWTDR4PQ

If it doesn’t, try searching for Nathan Hale Apartments, 181st St. & Washington Ave, on the website http://collections.mcny.org/.

I saw the picture there first and then found your page here. I love this stuff. I’m going to put a then/now picture up on my webpage. I hope you don’t mind I use your picture. I will credit you and reference your page. http://Www.WashingtonHeightsMusicalSociety.com

Thanks for bringing attention to these lovely gargoyles.

Alexandra

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