Wings for the IRT: The Irresistible Romance of Travel

1995 Grand Army Plaza (2, 3) New York City Transit

The bronze and terra cotta art for this station references the triumphal Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch located above the Grand Army Plaza subway station, which celebrates the Union army's victory in the Civil War. Located opposite Brooklyn's Prospect Park, it is topped by a dramatic tableau of two Winged Victories, the ancient symbol of triumph, and four rearing horses leading a chariot carrying the figures of Columbia. The arch is reflected Jane Greengold's “Wings for the IRT: The Irresistible Romance of Travel.” Terra cotta bas relief mosaics of a Winged Victory appear at the base of each of the station's entrance staircases; three bronze Winged Victory plaques and a large terra cotta bas relief mosaic of two Victories leading a subway car also adorn the station. Appropriately, the relief also alludes to the history of the subway system; the first logo for the Interboro Rapid Transit (IRT) was "Flying Wheels," a subway car with wings, and the artwork's title includes the initials of the IRT.