45°
Historian Alice Sparber Alexiou knows how a hundred years or so can really make a difference. When New York's Flatiron Building went up in 1902, for instance, tastemakers derided its design as "a stingy piece of pie." Critics predicted it wouldn't withstand wind gusts on its historically windy corner, where Broadway and Fifth Avenue converge. But today, a little over a century later, it is revered. As Kate Appleton wrote in New York Magazine, "Named after the Fuller Construction Company, the Fuller Building quickly took on the Flatiron moniker, a nod to the buildings resemblance to an old-fashioned flat iron. Lion heads, Greek faces, fleur de lis and enveloping geometric designs adorn the terra cotta exterior, which recalls an Italian Renaissance palazzo. Once the most photographed building in New York, the Flatiron has been captured by Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, and countless tourists." Alexiou has chosen this remarkable building as the subject of her new book, "The Flatiron: The New York Landmark and the Incomparable City That Arose with It ." She discussses her work at the Westport Library on July 12. She is also the author of 2006's "Jane Jacobs: Urban Visionary." Additionally, Alexiou is a contributing editor at Lilith magazine and has written for The New York Times and Newsday, among other publications. Her talk at the Westport Library begins at 7:30 p.m. It's free -- but might cost you a train ticket to revisit this incomparably-designed landmark.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
