- 21
Joseph Freedlander
Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 USD
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Description
- Joseph Freedlander
- Statue of Mercury, Fifth Avenue Traffic Light Decoration
- bronze, brown-green patina
- height: 16 1/2 in.; 42 cm.
Provenance
Private Collection, Connecticut
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Acquired by the present owner from the above
Condition
in good condition; on a 4 5/8 inch metal base, front of the base has an irregular, mottled surface (looks like old glue remnants from an old plaque)
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The present work is one of the few remaining bronzes which stood atop 104 elegant bronze traffic light posts along Fifth Avenue from 8th to 59th Streets. In the late 1920s, Joseph Freedlander was asked by New York City to design more streamlined traffic lights to replace the earlier, bulky signal towers which congested the famed thoroughfare. They were among the first progressively-timed electric traffic lights in the city. Erected by 1931, they remained in situ until 1964.