In a previous BLOG, we took a look at some of the world’s most popular art, and in a form you’ll not often find in museums but can be found nearly everywhere: manhole covers. The best of them combine real art with civic pride and history.
So as a follow-up to that, here are some more, from a recent trip. The one above is from Prague, and is found most commonly near the Prague Castle, which also appears on the city’s coat of arms, reproduced on the manhole.
It’s not Prague’s only cover design, though. Among the others, the one above is a specialty item, showing Prague’s old main rail station, now part of and surrounded by its 21st-century successor. It’s a very specific cover, used only in and around the station.
And our last one for today. This is almost a tourist brochure in cast-iron for Berlin’s MItte district; other districts have their own, but none quite like this. The long diagonal in the center is the Berlin television tower, tallest building in Germany, which stands pretty much in the center of Mitte (which means center). Around it are other iconic buildings that are nearby, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag Building, Berlin’s City Hall, historic churches and more.
If you have some more interesting manhole covers to add, please post them in comments below…we’d love to look down and see them!
Those are not just beautiful, but functional in another way…if not as utility covers, then as guides for pedestrians. Do all the streets have them?
Those are not just beautiful, but functional in another way…if not as utility covers, then as guides for pedestrians. Do all the streets have them?
The streets crossing the main street in Banff (Banff Ave) have them, although I don’t believe all the streets in town have them. I expect they’re just up on the main pedestrian areas of town. But I agree, they are nicely done.
In Tokyo, They also use the covers for Fire Hydrants,something I haven’t noticed before
Thanks to you Paul, I’m now taking a lot of photos of manhole covers and birds on statues. Really some interesting things I never paid much mind to before. Here’s a couple more manhole covers. I’ll add the my statue birds on your next story.
In Oslo
Fire Hydrant in Tokyo
I usually keep my eyes up, but do glance down from time to time.
These are on the sidewalk in the town of Banff. Probably not functional manhole covers, but “art under the feet”.