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TABLE OF CONTENTSInventory |
Guide to the August Kruzensk Photographs
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Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator | Kruzensk, August, 1883-1963 | |
| Title | August Kruzensk Photographs, | |
| Dates: | 1914 | |
| Abstract: | The August Kruzensk Photographs document the construction of the statuary that surrounds the great clock above the 42nd Street entrance to Manhattan’s Grand Central Station. The statues, depicting the mythological figures Mercury, Hercules and Minerva, were designed by the French sculptor Jules Coutan. They were carved and assembled at the William Bradley and Sons Stone Yard in Long Island City, Queens. Mr. Kruzensk, an employee of the stone yard, photographed each of the three figures in various stages of completion, as well as the finished group. Also included with the collection are views of the stone yard itself, and of Mr. Kruzensk’s fellow stoneworkers. | |
| Extent: | 32 photographs, .4 cubic feet | |
| Identification: | K-7 | |
| Location: | The material is located in the Archives at Queens Library. | |
Historical/Biographical Note
August Kruzensk (1883-1963) was a resident of Brooklyn who was employed by the William Bradley and Sons Stone Yard in Long Island City, Queens. In 1913-1914 the Bradley Stone Yard was commissioned to build the statuary for the façade of Grand Central Station. As the work progressed, Mr. Kruzensk used his camera to document the construction of the statues, and also to photograph his fellow workers and the stone yard itself.
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Scope and Content Note
The August Kruzensk Photographs document the construction of the statuary that surrounds the great clock above the 42nd Street entrance to Manhattan’s Grand Central Station. The statues, depicting the mythological figures Mercury, Hercules and Minerva, were designed by the French sculptor Jules Coutan. They were carved and assembled at the William Bradley and Sons Stone Yard, located on the west side of Vernon Avenue south of Noble Street (present-day 40th Avenue) in Long Island City, Queens. Mr. Kruzensk, an employee of the stone yard, photographed each of the three figures in various stages of completion, as well as the finished group. Also included with the collection are views of the stone yard itself, and of Mr. Kruzensk’s fellow stoneworkers. When the finished statuary was unveiled in the summer of 1914, it was said to be the largest sculptural group in the world.
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Arrangement
This collection consists only of prints. Physically, we have arranged them according to control number, beginning with the number KZK-000001 and ending with KZK-000032. There are both 8x10 and 4x5 prints, but because of the small size of the collection, we have filed everything together in a single box. The photographs are not organized in any particular order.
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Creator of item, date of item (if known), identification of item, if a photograph its control number. The August Kruzensk Photographs, Archives at Queens Library, Queens Borough Public Library.
Provenance
The photographs were donated to the division by Mr. Kruzensk’s daughter, Madeline, in 1997.
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions. Manuscripts are only available in the Archives at Queens Library, please call (718) 990-0770 for hours. Manuscript users will be required to complete the division's Manuscript Usage Form and deposit their photograph identification or Queens Borough Public Library card with a staff member. The identification will be returned to the user after she/he has returned the material. Manuscript users will deposit all their personal items behind the reference desk. Manuscript users must use the division's loose sheets of paper for note taking. To reiterate, no pen of any type is permitted. Paper and a pencil are available upon request. Manuscript users may be required to use special handling procedures depending on the conditions of the material.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
- Archives at Queens Library
- Queens Borough Public Library
- 89-11 Merrick Boulevard
- Jamaica, NY 11432
- Phone: (718) 990-0770.
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Access Points
Subject Places:
- Long Island City (New York, N.Y.)
Subject Organizations:
- Grand Central Terminal (New York, N.Y.)
- William Bradley and Sons Stone Yard
Subject Names:
- Coutan, Jules Félix, 1848-1939
- Kruzensk, August, 1883-1963
Subject Topics:
- Stone carving
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Inventory
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
