Alamo, also known as The Cube
Object: Kinetic sculpture
Materials:
Sculpture – 10 gauge Cor-Ten Steel (1/8”), painted black
Base – 3/16” Cor-Ten steel, painted black
Sculptor: Bernard “Tony” Rosenthal
Fabricator: Lippincott Inc.
Date: 1967
Dimensions:
Sculpture – H: 15’
Cube – H: 97 ¼” W: 96” D: 93”
Base – H: 6/12” L: 96/12” W: 96 1/4”
Weight: 850 lbs
Location: East 8th Street/4th Avenue/Astor Place/Lafayette, Manhattan, New York
Installed in 1967 as part of the “Sculpture and the Environment” organized by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cube was one of 25 temporary art installations that were intended to remain for a six-month period, however local residents successfully petitioned the city to keep the Alamo. In 1968 the sculpture became a permanent gift to New York City by Knoedler Gallery, the artist, and an anonymous donor. It has since become a popular meeting place in the East Village.
The conservation treatment included disassembly of the Cube and transporting it to the treatment facility, removal of the existing coatings, laser cleaning of the corroded metal inside of the sculpture, chemical stabilization of metal interior surfaces, metal repairs, preparation of the exterior surfaces for the new coating, application of the new coating, repairs of the axis and rotating mechanism, transportation back to the site in Manhattan, and re-installation.