Cornelius Vanderbilt

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Statue of Cornelius Vanderbilt by Ernst Plassman, design by Albert De Groot
(The only remaining fragment of a 150-foot-long bronze frieze)
South facade of Grand Central Terminal
New York, September 2008

“The Commodore looks pretty spiffy, set against the newly cleaned limestone of the south facade of Grand Central Terminal. All brushed up and polished, the four-ton statue of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt is half a century older than the 1913 Beaux-Arts building. Actually, it is a mere fragment of a 150-foot-long bronze frieze illustrating the steamship and railroad magnate's accomplishments. Unlike the statue, it has disappeared without a trace.” (The Curious Travels of the Commodore, The New York Times)