Regular readers of my blog have seen many posts about St. Louis' wildly unusual City Museum. It was founded by the late sculptor and odd-ball entrepreneur Bob Cassilly and his former wife, Gail Soliwoda. They had a workshop where they created sculptures and other decorative elements, including this facade. It has been vacant for years and is badly deteriorated in the rear. The current owner applied for a demolition permit but preservationists are working to save its wonderful terra cotta face.
Gee whiz fact: you oldies may have heard that in 1972, a mentally ill man went after Michelangelo's Pieta in St. Peter's with a hammer. Cassilly, who was in Rome on his honeymoon with his first wife, was the person who tackled him and prevented him from doing further damage. Cassilly grew up in the suburb of Webster Groves, where I live.
A fine facade, I hope it will still be there in the future.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite related fact is that the vandal was Lazlo Toth, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laszlo_Toth, and that name was further immortalized in the Laslo Letters, written by Don Movelli, also known as Father Guido Sarducci from Satyrday Night Live.
ReplyDelete