Caryatids

Too many people in New York City walk around with their eyes glued to the sidewalk. Granted, such a viewpoint can help one avoid some of the nastier bits of the jetsam tossed by pedestrians. But one misses so much that makes New York a fun place to live. Of course, I'm usually looking around - or up - for potential photographs.

Earlier this week I was walking in the East Village and spotted this great building on Bond St., between Lafayette and Broadway. I don't really know anything about the building itself - although it's typical of the late 19th century. But the caryatids . . . they are incredible, among the most elaborate I've seen in the city. (What's a caryatid? It's a sculpted female figure used as a column, usually supporting an entablature.) Unfortunately, this building is quite tall (at least ten stories), so even the puny zoom on my digital camera made this a less than ideal object for photos. Still, I couldn't resist.