The big old houses to which my heart responds embody a sort of density of design and decoration. Absent modern machines, much more work used to be done by hand. A good design in the hands of a good craftsman results in a custom-made look that is altogether appealing. Fine old houses are as valuable for the execution of their details as they are for overall design or historical significance. Here are a few snapshots of things I noticed the other day while strolling around my East Side Manhattan neighborhood - Egyptian capitals on a Park Avenue porch; the "Monopoly" millionaire over a real millionaire's front entrance; the door to a society wedding gift; an entirely original facade resurfaced in stucco; and a detail of the latter, looking very much like a cameo of Dutch maidens under Peter Stuyvesant's famous pear tree.
Image 1 - 686 Park Avenue
Image 2 - 38 East 68th St.
Image 3 - 5 East 66th St.
Images 4 & 5 - 130 East 65th St.
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