dieselpunkflimflam:newyorkthegoldenage:The Sherry-Netherland Hotel—"a perfect Tuscan

dieselpunkflimflam:newyorkthegoldenage:The Sherry-Netherland Hotel—"a perfect Tuscan Castle fantasy,“ according to the New York Times—was just months from opening in April, 1927, when fire broke out on the wood plank scaffolding surrounding the uppermost floors. “Awed Thousands Watch Blazing Timbers Drop to Roofs and Streets,” read the headline the next day in the Times, which said that “probably hundreds of thousands” saw the fire from all around the city. The windows of the Plaza across the street were “black with people;” and every front room was engaged, either by news organizations or for spontaneous fire-watching parties.The newspaper ran this photo, retouching it for contrast. The hotel’s developers vowed that it would open as scheduled in the fall, and it did. Most of the 126 apartments rented for $20,000 to $30,000 per year. In 1956 the hotel was converted into a co-op.Photo: NY Times Was it an accident, or a diversion? -- source link

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