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Ancient Goddesses in New York

An Online Guide to Discovering the Sacred Feminine in
Museums, Temples, and Public Places

The (Reappearing) Goddesses of Penn Station

Penn Station had a famous goddess clock. The "Night" sculpture by Adolph A. Weinman, on the right of the Penn Station clock, was discovered, recovered, and given a place of honor at The Brooklyn Museum.

Photo: Alex Garrett
 
These goddesses were discovered in Penn Station. They look like a bas relief or a mosaic. They are located at the end of the Long Island Railroad Concourse that my son travels each day.
 
They looked familiar but there was no clear information about them. Are they part of the original, historic Penn Station? Will they be taken away in the (controversial) renovations? Are they some sort of Public Art display?

Photo: Alex Garrett
 
A search through Penn Station archival photos showed that this may be a recreation of a famous, long-lost goddess clock that stood atop the original Pennsylvania Station Building. If you enlarge this photo and hold it next to an archival photo, it looks like it could be connected to, or an homage to, the iconic goddesses that presided over time at Penn Station.

Photo: Photograph of Photo from Life / Walker Evans Time & Life Pictures/Shutterstock.
 
Penn Station Goddess Clock in 1963: It features two goddesses guarding time. They are known as Day and Night. They look like the goddesses on the wall of Penn Station, sans the clock.
 
The caption in Life reads: Graced by goddesses and eagles and crowned by a balustrade, Pennsylvania Station presents a serene and seemingly timeless facade to New York's Seventh Avenue, 1963.

Photo: David Grossman / Alamy Stock Photo

 

Low and Behold, once a photo of the original statue came into view via LIFE Magazine, it became clear why the internal art work in Penn Station and why the original clock seemed so familiar. Half of this historic goddess duo stands right outside the back door of The Brooklyn Museum. She is a huge greeting goddess. But she always looks a little slee[y, hence, her name is Night. The ancient Romans had a goddess of Night (Nox), as did the Greeks (Nyx).

 

Her official caption is: "Clock figure. Semi-nude allegorical figure depicting night. The female figure is draped in the enveloping cloak of night, with eyes closed and an oriental poppy drooping from her hand. The figure of night and the figure of day (symbolized by sunflowers) flanked the clock, which was encircled by a laurel wreath. There were four identical clocks on the exterior facades of Penn Station."

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