“So glad to see your message about Macy’s Believe campaign! Do you live near Herald Square? Do they still have the clock where the little men hit the clock? Long time since I’ve been there!” Ms Ginter!
I should have known the answer and then I said wait a minute, let me find out, for Mrs. Ginter is my girl scout camp counselor!
So when she asks a question, I have to find out! Plus, she had me curious, to why I DON’T KNOW THIS!
So for the last couple of days, I have been researching about this clock! So while in Manhattan earlier this week, here I go…I am asking about this clock! The key was to say Macy’s, Herald Square, NYC! BINGO! That’s when I started getting some answers!
Although it’s near Macy’s, it is actually a park named Herald Square. The park was named for the newspaper that was once published directly to its north, The New York Herald.
The City of New York acquired the area in 1846 as part of the opening of then called Bloomingdale Road; which we now know as BROADWAY!
The paper, The New York Herald founded by James Gordon Bennett in 1835, back then considered a scandalous newspaper! Nothing compared to the gossip papers we have today! Not even close!!!
The park, Herald Square, you will find a centerpiece monument which houses a sculpture and clock. This centerpiece used to be positioned on top of the former Herald Building. Prior to the demolition of the building in 1921, the figures were removed and reinstalled in the Square in 1940.
The bronze figures include Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and invention, and two bell-ringing blacksmiths. The clock and figures were reinstalled on the monument in 1940, and two seven-foot-tall bronze blacksmiths who earned the nicknames of “Stuff and Guff” or sometimes called “Gog and Magog” have chimed the hours ever since.
The bronze blacksmiths give the appearance of ringing the bell with their mallets, while in actuality is rung by mallets located behind the bell. The figures and the clock were originally part of the 1894 New York Herald Building that was located at the square.
So Mrs. Ginter! Yes, the clock is still there! Thanks for the history trivia! And thanks to YouTube, I was able to find you some footage! Although you have not been here a long time, you can still enjoy!
Stamped letters were brought to Macy’s addressed to Santa and dropped into the special Santa letterbox. The letters were counted. Each letter received, Macy’s donated a $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation up to $1,000,000. The letters were brought to the Post Office for mailing to Santa!!! Happy Holidays!
Letia 🙂
YouTube® video by sugatabanerji
Letia Mitchell LifeStyle & Design® 