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See the inner workings behind the iconic stained glass clockface that has sparked debate in NYC!
There are many secrets to Grand Central Terminal as you may have read in our ever-popular article. One of our favorites is the hidden opening in the giant clock on the building's facade! When we originally reported on this clock, we labeled it as the world's largest Tiffany clock, as did many other sources. However, after our original article was published we received a tip from a reader, and some insight from a Tiffany expert, that cast doubt on this claim.
The clock in question sits encased by the statue “Transportation” on the facade of Grand Central Terminal facing 42nd Street and Park Avenue. French sculptor Jules-Felix Coutan designed the ornate statuary—which features the colossal figures of Hercules, Mercury, and Minerva—but he refused to come to the United States to oversee the construction. His reason: “I fear some of your [American] architecture would distress me.”
It took builders seven years to construct Coutan’s massive sculpture. It stretches 48 feet high and weighs a whopping 1,500 tons. Meanwhile, the clock below it measures 13 feet in diameter and took a year to restore.
If it’s true that the clock was made by Tiffany, it would be the largest tiffany clock in the world. While Grand Central Terminal’s official website attributes the glass clockface to the renowned Tiffany studio, the Tiffany Company has not confirmed (or denied) it and Tiffany experts say nay.
When the clock was restored by Rohlf's Stained & Leaded Glass Studio, Inc. in Mount Vernon, no Tiffany signatures were found on any of the sixteen original glass pieces. There were twelve numeral discs and four sunburst pieces.
Many sources that describe the clock in detail, such as the Terminal’s National Register of Historic Places designation and newspaper articles from the time of the clock's installation (over a year after the terminal's opening), do not specifically call the clock a Tiffany piece. The sculptures are what made headlines at the time. As the New York Times reported, the figures were the largest sculptural group in the world. Further, books by Tiffany from 1913 through 2004 make no mention of the clock among the studio’s other work.
Restoration Photos Courtesy of Rohlf's Stained & Leaded Glass Studio, Inc.
The extensive restoration work took so long in part because the staircase that leads to the clock is so narrow that each piece had to be removed individually. There was also extensive damage since the clock's installation in 1914, so the process involved both repair and replication. The numeral five, for example, was damaged beyond repair and had to be replaced. Once everything was fixed, all of the parts were reinstalled piece by piece.
Photos by darkcyanide
One fun secret about the clock is that the numeral six opens like a window! This secret opening allows access to the clock's exterior and a unique view down Park Avenue.
From hidden tennis courts to the remnants of a lost movie theater and an office-turned-speakeasy, uncover the secrets of New York City's iconic train terminal!
Next, read about the Top 10 Secrets of Grand Central Terminal.
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