Another House Of Hades Tile Discovered

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Southeast corner of Market and Broadway downtown. I thought I had seen this last summer but I was out on a business errand - no time to stop and take a picture. Later searches drew a blank. These things are hard to spot. Then, while walking back from the Arch to my car last weekend, it caught my eye.

Hades tiles are based on the classic Toynbee design but many have more decorative elements. Note the traffic signal on the right of this one. Similarly, see this and this one, also in downtown St. Louis. All that pink on the top and left is mysterious. Mrs. C views it as the bare legs and netherland of a woman. The topic needs much more scholarly research.

I must work harder . .   

Thursday Arch picture tomorrow.

A New Tile

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I heard there was a new House of Hades tile (to me, anyway) in front of Left Bank Books at 10th and Locust so I went to check it out. It's in the traditional Toynbee tile colors with no picture border (like some of these).

If you have never seen one of these it's hard to imagine the scale and location in the street. The bottom two pictures give you some idea.

One of St. Louis' original Toynbee tiles has been stolen, the one between Starbucks and Macy's at 6th and Olive. Vandalism, I say, more private interest over public good. Which reminds me, tomorrow is election day.

Link Between Downtown STL And Hades

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We saw a few House of Hades tiles in Philadelphia and several in New York. These appear to be the contemporary successor to Toynbee Tiles. Well, the sharp eyes and research skills of Mrs. C. found a reference to one in downtown St. Louis. It's at 7th and Olive Streets in front of Macy's, a block from my office. I walk through that intersection frequently and I am embarrassed that I have not noticed it. It is a bit out of the crosswalk, though.

There may be more. Now I want to walk through every downtown intersection and search. They could be in any other part of the city. The mystery continues.