This summer, I was walking up Fifth Avenue past 66th Street and happened to gaze up at one of those bronze memorial statues scattered throughout the city.  It was mostly backlit and hard to see and so at first my eye only caught a glimpse of one area which stopped me- the anguished facial expression of a charging soldier- the third soldier from the right.  I looked longer at all the characters and the movement and realized that this statue is quite horrifying- in a way that makes me want to research it further so I can better appreciate what it is represents.  So…

This bronze statue, The 107th Infrantry Memorial, memorializes foot soldiers from the 107th Infrantry, a New York National Guard Regiment of volunteers which, during World War 1 suffered 1,918 casualties including 580 killed.  The statue’s designer, Karl Illava, (1896-1954) served in the 107th, himself, as a sergeant.

The 107th Infantry Regiment has an interesting New York history.  The 107th was actually known as the 7th Infantry Regiment until World War 1 when it was strengthened by transfers from other New York regiments.  Since the Civil War the 7th Infantry Regiment had sometimes been referred to as the Silk Stocking Regiment because a large proportion of its members were young men from elite Manhattan society including members of the Vanderbilt and Roosevelt families.

Charles Clinton, a veteran of the 7th Regiment, designed what we now call the Park Avenue Armory, from which the 7th then operated after the building’s official dedication in 1880.  The Armory functioned as both a military headquarters and a social club.  The reception and company rooms were designed by prominent contemporary artists such as Louis Comfort Tiffany and Stanford White.

The 107th Infantry Regiment shipped to France in May of 1918 and was gradually rotated into the front line in relief of various British divisions.  In September, the 107th participated in a successful assault on the Hindenberg Line, Germany’s elaborate line of defense in Northeast France.  Four of the regiment’s members were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their actions during this offensive including Sergeant Alan Louis Eggers, who had been a student at Cornell before the war.  Corporal Thomas E. O’Shea died during the battle but was awarded the medal posthumously.  The 107th returned to New York in March of 1919 where they would soon march in the victory parade.

So, this statue, The 107th Infrantry Memorial, depicts seven of these New York soldiers engaged in battle against the Germans.  The soldier on the right carries two Mills Bombs (hand grenades) and supports a wounded soldier.  I find very powerful the soldier toward the left holding another who is clearly mortally wounded.  And the face of the soldier, third from the right, whose open mouth I first noticed, is hard to look at for the powerful emotion and horror it evokes in me.

Author, Stephen L. Harris has written a book “Duty, Honor, Privilege: New York’s Silk Stocking Regiment and the Breaking of the Hindenberg Line” (Potomac Books 2001) about the 107th during WW1 which I am almost finished reading and then I will share some much juicier information!

P.S. The memorial sits on a large stepped pedestal designed by architects, Rogers & Haneman who designed the Neo-romanesque Ravenna Court building which still stands at 37th Avenue in the historic district of Jackson Heights.

I’ve been watching the John Adams HBO series starring Paul Giamatti and feeling a little patriotic so today my friend Mike and I walked around looking for a plaque commemorating the execution site of an American Revolutionary War Hero, Nathan Hale, and eventually we found it on the side of a Banana Republic.

According to a NY Historical Society plaque on the West side of Third Avenue between 65th and 66th Streets, Nathan Hale, the American Revolutionary war hero, was hanged by the British, “probably within a hundred yards of here.”

The hanging site of Nathan Hale is significant because it is where he uttered his famous last words (there are many conflicting accounts of these words, but all accounts give the same general sentiment which boil down to what follows),

“I only regret that I have but one life to give my country.”

Really quick summary: Nathan Hale was born in Connecticut and attended Yale before becoming a schoolteacher.  In 1776 he was a 21-year old captain in the Continental Army.  He volunteered to gather evidence behind enemy lines but was somehow found out by the British. He was questioned by British commander General William Howe who was headquartered in the Beekman Mansion (near 51st St and 1st Ave, then a rural area.) Howe ordered Hale’s execution which took place the morning of September 22, 1776.

Two other sites purport to be that of Nathan Hale’s execution- one at City Hall Park and one at 44th Street and Vanderbilt near Grand Central Terminal.

One account (sorry, no reference) which supports the Upper East Side location states that on the morning of September 22, 1776, Hale was marched up the Post Road to Park of Artillery next to a Pub called The Dove Tavern which is known to have been near 66th Street and 3rd Avenue.

Image via The C.I.A.

Image via Corbis

In 1985 the state of Connecticut named Hale its the official state hero.

LINKS
Nathan Hale at AmericanRevolution.com
Nathan Hale on Wikipedia
Simplified Summary on America’s Library

Larry Fink, Russian Ball, Colony Club, New York City, 1977, via MoMA

Blair’s maid, Darota via WoodyCakes

On tonight’s episode of Gossip Girl, Blair throws a little party for members of the exclusive women’s social group, The Colony Club, in an attempt to gain entrance.  Her guests turn out to be a bunch of stodgy, petty, argyle-clad bitches who insist that Serena’s family and Chuck Bass are not to be associated with because of tabloid mentions, skimpy outfits, and nouveau-richeness.  In a display of strong character, Blair eventually totally disses them by ending the party and proclaiming the greatness of Serena and her mother, and her close association with Chuck Bass.

Which reminds me that I once picked up a copy of “The History of the Colony Club” at the Strand- I knew it would come in handy at some point- and my room happens to be clean enough so that I was able to locate it right away.

The book mostly consists of one page and portrait painting of each of the Colony Club’s past president’s from 1903-1984, when the book was published, and proud news of improvements, renovations, and the inner workings of the club – it’s quite mundane reading for an outsider.

What I really want to know is are today’s members at all like those portrayed on Gossip Girl?

The Colony Club has no public website or public listing of current members so I will try to piece together a fragmented description from any interesting tidbits I can find, of what this club was/does/is.

First some background info from Wikipedia.

THE COLONY CLUB

• The Colony Club was the first social club in New York City started by women for women.
• Founded by Florence “Daisy” Jaffray Harriman, Ava Lowle Willing (then Mrs. John Jacob Astor IV) and Helen Hay (Mrs. Payne) Whitney in 1903, it was modeled after male social clubs.
• First clubhouse was at 120 Madison Avenue between 30th and 31st Streets.
• Second clubhouse, 1916-present, 564 Park Avenue/51 East 62nd Street designed by Delano and Aldrich

FOUNDERS OF THE COLONY CLUB

• Florence Harriman was born into a wealthy family.  She seems to have been a remarkably active woman- she helped to expose harsh working conditions in New York City workplaces, unhealthy conditions in tenemants, was a leader of the women’s suffrage movement, participated in the Versailles Peace Conference, was appointed the United States Minister to Norway by FDR in 1937, and at age 84 led a parade in Washington DC to protest “taxation without participation.”  She wrote “From Pinafores to Politics” (1923) and “Mission to the North” (1941).  All this among many other accomplishments!
• Helen Julia Hay (Mrs. Payne) Whitney was a poet whose poems were published in Harper’s Magazine.  She also bred horses at her Greentree Stable in Manhasset, NY and in various years her horses won the American Grand National Steeplechase, the Kentucky Derby, and the Belmont Stakes.  She married Payne Whitney in 1902 and the couple built a home at 972 Fifth Avenue which is now the French Embassy.  Her father, John Milton Hay, served as U.S. Embassador to Britain and United States Secretary of State.
• Ava Lowle Willing – married John Jacob Astor IV and later Thomas Lister, the 4th Baron of Ribblesdale.

From the book:
Here are some tidbits from the book that give some idea of what the club has been up to.

• In 1975 The Colony Club introduced the Honorary Visitors Committee – to be helpful to wives of diplomats and UN members.
• A Card Committee in the 70′s gave lessons to all levels of brdige players.
• There was a Hairdressing Department and a Gift Boutique
• Colony Club Members could pay a small extra fee to join the club’s lending library, run on the honor system.
• In 1978 to celebrate its 75th Anniversary, the club put on a Fashion Revue or pageant to tell its histories and stories, using clothing dating back to the turn of the century, donated by members.  It is implied that some of these items of clothing were then donated to the Met Museum’s Costume Institute.

Other stuff:

• The Colony Club’s restaurant had 3 violations at it’s last inspection on June 13, 2008, but apparently this is not a lot.
• The Colony Club has hosted weddings, booksignings, lectures, balls…
• The Colony Club will host a stop on Christopher Dickey‘s book tour for ‘Securing the City: Inside America’s Best Counterterror Force – The NYPD’ February 19, 2009, 6:15pm

That’s all I can handle for now, but would be grateful for any further input via the comments section.  What do you know?  Has the Colony Club degenerated into an outmoded clique?  Or do they (still?) do meaningful stuff?

The U.E.S. Journal has acquired two original engineers’ photographs of subway construction under The Upper East Side in 1914.  Visit the “old photos” section of P.U.E.S. to see more…

Under 60th and Lex, 1914.

Photo via Listphile

If you don’t like reading too much, here’s the short version: I met Chevy Chase last night and he said the cow incident happened at Haverford College

To make a short story long, last night I went to the after-party for the premier of the new Robert De Niro/Al Pacino movie, “A Righteous Kill” at Terminal 5. (I hear I was lucky to have missed the actual premier.) My friend Aaron somehow got into the VIP section so I texted “Are De Niro and Pacino up there?” He wrote back “belzer, chevy chase…”

What?? Better than the Godfathers!

I’m a huge fan of Richard Belzer, primarily because he plays a funny Jewish cop on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. And Chevy Chase in person! He was really hot in Fletch. And the recent episode of Law and Order where he guest stars as an anti-semitic actor was OK.

It took me a minute to realize that I was one red rope away from the single most important key in settling the cow question once and for all. I texted for Aaron to get us up there. Meanwhile Jeb and I plotted- he folded a paper airplane on which I planned to write my interview questions before gently flying it to him on the V.I.P. stage. From afar I was pretty sure he was the one guy wearing a white baseball cap.

But Aaron had the hookup and managed to escort us passed the V.I.P bouncers. On the way up Jeb told me stories of how Chevy Chase is a notoriously mean jerk. So by the time I was up there and realized Chevy Chase was about a foot taller than the guy in the white baseball cap I was terrified of what I knew I had to do.

All of a sudden Chevy was heading toward the stage exit. On the way he put his hand on the shoulder of that very guy in the white baseball cap and complimented him on something he’d produced or directed. I grabbed the side of Chevy Chase’s big arm and said “Hi!” The men continued to talk, pretending not to notice me waiting there, and I eased my grip on Chevy’s jacket. I did not budge but kept looking from one man to the other, smiling sheepishly. Finally their conversation ended but Chevy wasn’t just going to let me have it. He turned to go and I grabbed him once more and shouted (the music was very loud.)

Me: Hi! Can I ask you a quick question?

Chevy Chase: (Friendly Yes-Knod)

Me: I’m a big fan! Where did the cow thing happen?

Chevy Chase: Haverford

Me: Thanks! Straight from the horse’s, I mean straight from the cow’s (begininning to think it might be insulting to call him a cow I became quieter) …mouth.

Then he smiled and I nervously smiled and darted the other way. He left the stage. I would have liked to ask him to tell me the whole story but I was too scared. But at least one key element of the story has been confirmed.

Later on the main floor, other sightings notable in my book were Furio from The Soprano’s and Ice-T with his sexy wife.

-Reb