I was inspired to make this page based on a joke I made on Bluesky the other day, as it seemed to be one of those days where everyone was caught up in extra doomscrolling. I had just been doing some research on the New York World (Pulitzer) Building and its magnificent gilded dome, so I shared some views, asking folks: “If you need a moment to pause from your doomscrolling, may I present: dome-scrolling?” I think we could use much more of the latter than the former, and to that end, I thought I’d offer a gallery of views of some of New York City’s grand domes.
The New York World Building c. 1909.
From Palmer’s Views of New York, Past and Present.
Joseph Pulitzer’s office on the dome’s 2nd floor. Excellent views could be had from the top of the gilded dome, which was reached by a spiral staircase.
From The World Almanac, 1891.
A fascinating plan showing more details about the top floors of the building, and the first and second stories of the dome.
From The World Almanac, 1891.
Figure 40 is a plan of the Mezzanine floor which forms a second story only at DD, which is directly over the rooms B and EFF, Figure 39. A and E are the upper parts of the high rooms A and C, Fig. 39. Figure 41 is a plan of the gallery in the city editor’s room. Figure 42 is a plan of the third story. GG, etc. are private rooms for different members of the editorial staff; H is a general editorial room and A is a toilet room.
From Engineering and Building Record and The Sanitary Engineer, Volume 22, Number 21. October 25, 1890.
Figure 43 is a plan of the upper bracing and roof beams; Fig. 44 is a plan of the roof; Figs. 45, 46, and 49 are plans at ZZ, YY, and XX, respectively of Figure 51; Figure 47 shows the arrangement of stairs from the fifth floor to the roof; Figure 48 shows the stairs to the lantern, and Fig. 50 is a plan of the lantern; Fig. 51 is an elevation, and Fig. 52 is a section of the lantern, which will be illuminated by electricity. Figure 53 shows the flag-staff connection and beam framing in the top of the dome, and the elevator sheaves S, suspended from cross-beams A.
From Engineering and Building Record and The Sanitary Engineer, Volume 22, Number 21. October 25, 1890.