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by **techtiques** on Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:12 pm

Color image above from --
http://forgotten-ny.com/2010/09/wheelie ... ts-in-nyc/

Also pictured at that site --
The first traffic signals in New York city that appeared in December 1922 on Fifth Avenue and were designed by Joseph H. Freedlander. They were seven large towers positioned in the center of the avenue and were manually operated by a police officer seated in the tower.

Freedlander later designed the individual stoplights, each bearing the 17″ statue of the roman messenger god Mercury.

by **EdT.** on Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:28 pm

techtiques wrote:Freedlander later designed the individual stoplights, each bearing the 17″ statue of the roman messenger god Mercury.

This and this might be of some interest to you as well.

by **mcha9797** on Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:44 pm

Very cool link's Ed, thanks for posting them. :2Cool:

by **steven1981** on Sat Aug 31, 2013 6:57 pm

Based on what I have seen in photographs, some of the 104 "bronze signals" on one segment of 5th Avenue in Manhattan did not have the statuette of the God Mercury attached to them.

Another interesting observation to point out is in that, with regards to these traffic signals, some had cutaway visors attached to some sides, while others completely lacked them. I could imagine that the ones that did not have them were difficult to see from a motorist's perspective when the Sun's light directly hit the signal indications.

The visors were cool and all, but I prefer the ones that did not have them.

by **techtiques** on Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:01 pm

EdT. wrote:
techtiques wrote:Freedlander later designed the individual stoplights, each bearing the 17″ statue of the roman messenger god Mercury.

This and this might be of some interest to you as well.

Thanks Ed. Those links are excellent. I particularly liked the “Illuminated Waistcoat” that may have been the only ever wearable traffic light. Very cool. :clapping:

by **techtiques** on Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:16 pm

steven1981 wrote:Based on what I have seen in photographs, some of the 104 "bronze signals" on one segment of 5th Avenue in Manhattan did not have the statuette of the God Mercury attached to them.

New York Times story about the missing statues --
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/02/reale ... rcury.html

.... In the same year Traffic Commissioner Henry A. Barnes announced the replacement of the slender bronze poles with plain, modern ones, and two years later the last statues were removed by Commissioner Barnes to stop souvenir hunters....

Originally posted in this thread about the Mercury signals --
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1228&p=9125&hilit=mercury#p9125

by **steven1981** on Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:20 pm

The statuettes were indeed valuable, due to their composition; however, some of the original traffic signals were supposedly never equipped with the statuettes to begin with. At least from what I understand.

I have a handful of photographs on my computer of such traffic signals without them. Some dating to the 1930s I believe, since these appeared in the picture around 1931. I'll have to look for them later.

by **steven1981** on Wed Sep 04, 2013 10:17 pm

steven1981 wrote:I have a handful of photographs on my computer of such traffic signals without them. Some dating to the 1930s I believe, since these appeared in the picture around 1931. I'll have to look for them later.

I might have accidentally deleted some photographs on my laptop a while back, since I had to clean it. Though I do have one that shows an original "bronze signal" without a statuette. Right next to it is a taller vehicular/pedestrian signal that was designed by a gentleman by the name of Dr. John F. Harriss. Photograph below dates back to around 1934 or so.

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1939 NYC Video

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