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01.22.07
The Night Skyline |
Douglas Leigh (1902-1999) was known for masterminding kinetic billboard ads that included the Times Square smoking Camel sign and one for Pepsi with a block-long waterfall. After his successes in Times Square, he decided to brighten up some of the city beyond the theatre district.
Mr. Leigh knew that the Empire State Building, opened in 1931, was short of tenants as a result of the Depression. He had the idea of getting Coca-Cola to take the top floors and proposed that the tower have changing lights that would serve as a weather forecast. Coke would package bottles with a small guide to decipher the colors. By late 1941, Coke had agreed, but following Pearl Harbor, the lights of the city were darkened and the deal fell by the wayside. After the war, they decided to use a different, simpler lighting scheme.
More immediate success in creating a night skyline is in evidence with Mr. Leigh's lighting designs for the Crown Building, Citicorp, John Jay College, New York Life, 2 Park Avenue, and 90 West Street (which was damaged in the September 11th attacks). Among his most successful was for the Helmsley Building at 230 Park Avenue where yellow light is focused on the tower from beneath and glows through the balustrades and onto the cupola. It gives a spectacular focus to the vista down Park Avenue.
Three decades passed before Mr. Leigh had another crack at the Empire. In 1976, he was made chairman of City Decor to welcome visitors for the Bicentennial. This time, he suggested to the ESB's owners that the lights be colored red, white and blue. It was an instant success and they were left that way until the end of that year. Mr. Leigh then offered the idea of tying the lights to different holidays, rather than the weather, which is the fundamental scheme still in effect today.
The Empire State Building Tower Lighting Schedule
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More on the Brooklyn Museum
Lots of mail…a small sample:
"I suffered through it, and felt like a fool doing it."
"I too visited the museum to see the Annie Leibovitz exhibit on Sunday, Jan. 14…It was a nightmare…The only thing the museum seemed concerned about was cramming as many people as they could into the museum, damn the consequences."
"I find it inappropriate that you would turn your newsletter into a platform for venting a relatively minor frustration…"
"My experience was only slightly better, and that was a few weeks after it opened."
"Just a note to let you know that when my mom & I were in line for tickets around 4:30 they did have announcements of the additional wait to get into the actual exhibit over the speaker system."
"The same thing happened to me a few years ago when I went to see the Basquiat exhibit during the last weekend it was there…I haven't gone back to the museum since."
"So which one of you waited until the last day to see the exhibit this weekend and didn't like waiting on line? I wouldn't hold my breath for that apology." |
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