Randall Dana - Lost New York

Randall Dana - Lost New York

Randall Dana is well known for his passion. Mr. Dana's passion is restoring gargoyles and other architectural ornamentation from 19th century buildings slated from demolition. At one point, when Mr. Dana lived in New York City, he had salvaged artifacts from more than 500 buildings, including the collapsed Broadway Central Hotel, the Women's House of Detention and the Architects Building, where the firm McKim, Mead & White had its offices.

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Altogether, he had amassed more than 500 pieces, all of which he meticulously catalogued and hung on his walls like hunting trophies. By the time Mr. Dana moved to a loft in Park Slope in 1982, his collection had become a growing burden. The challenge of storing items in friends' apartments and other parts of the city was becoming financially and logistically burdensome. In 1984, he sold his prized possessions including his 50 tons of keystones, cameos, friezes and spandrels, and left New York, moving first to Vermont, then to Oregon and most recently to Iowa, where he lives today.

Over the years, Mr. Dana learned to reproduce his treasures out of clay, creating hundreds to replicate the originals that once surrounded him. He currently operates a Web site, www.urbansculptures.com chronicling the 19th-century buildings, which became the casualties of the 1970s. When it came time to choose the ultimate rubber for molding his creations, Rebound® 25 clearly stood out above the rest.

"(A competitor's silicone) came recommended to me by a colleague on a professional sculpture forum, I became pretty disappointed with it but pegged it as being the best around. In many ways it was better than the urethane I used before that, but I noticed it tended to tear REAL easy. The last straw was last week when simply pulling molds off tore them, and I was NOT the least bit harsh in handling them!

I was really impressed with the Rebound's strength, and after only 6 hours and my TRYING to tear it. Even where it was paper thin and translucent I had difficulty tearing it. I should have tried Smooth-on a lot sooner but I had gone strictly by the tear numbers and the (competitor's silicone) had a higher number, but I'm skeptical now if their published figure is even real- especially after comparing the two products in a tear test."

Below: Watch one of Randall's youtube videos where he explains the benefits of Rebound® 25

Below is small sampling of Randall's finished pieces. To see more, or to purchase a reproduction of one of his sculptures, visit Randall's website at www.urbansculptures.com

Nr.713-R - Angel spandrel panel modeled after originals from 713 East 5th Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side.	Three of Randall's standard finishes for pieces shown on Nr. 295 - Cherub panel fragment. From left to right they are: Buff Yellow, Red Terra Cotta and Old Limestone Grey.	Large Owl panel Nr. 129-R modeled after a sculpture from a building at 129th St and St Nick Ave, Harlem, NY.
Griffin panel, Webster Hall Nr. Webster-R modeled after a piece from Webster Hall located at 125 East 11th St by 4th Ave, Manhattan.	Lion Plaques Nr. 060 - one-of-a-kind red terra cotta sculpture salvaged from a circa 1900 building that was located at 60th St and Columbus Ave in New York City.	Soldier Nr 621-R modeled after a keystone salvaged from an abandoned tenement located at 621 East 5th Street, Manhattan.
Sailor Nr. 635 modeled off the original from 127 Pitt Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side.	Helmed man Nr 208-R modeled after an original from 208 Eldridge Street, which was demolished with most of the block around 1979.	Lady Keystone, Model Nr. 22-D originally from 208 Eldridge Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side.
Lady Keystone 'Athena' Nr. 520 from 535 East 11th Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side.	5 pc wolf head Nr. WH-R original modeled after a piece that purportedly came from a demolished Philadelphia brewery with the name ''Wolf Head Brewery''	Gremlin capital Nr.81 reproduction from a sculpture which is on a still standing apartment building at 81 Irving Place at 19th Street in Manhattan
The official Seal of the city of New York, from the old West Side (Miller) elevated highway, New York City.	Art Deco panel 8B reproduction from an original that adorned The New York Women's House of Detention located at 6th Ave behind the present Jefferson Market Public Library in New York City.	Art Deco Folies Bergere panel D4-R modeled after the original sculpture on the facade of the Folies Bergere in Paris France by Maurice Picaud.

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