The Stone Heads of 320 York
As you enter the new Humanities building at 320 York Street—the Humanities Quadrangle, or HQ—you might notice twelve stone heads looking down at you from the arched entrance. Although the heads’ exaggerated ears suggest a certain looseness with anatomical detail, the specificity of the faces suggests they represent real people. At the Whitney Humanities Center, we decided to try to identify the faces. Yale’s own promotional material tells one story: a brochure detailing a walking tour itinerary of the campus claims that “the archway is decorated with carved heads not of scholars but of the construction staff.” Was this true?
As you enter the new Humanities building at 320 York Street—the Humanities Quadrangle, or HQ—you might notice twelve stone heads looking down at you from the arched entrance. Although the heads’ exaggerated ears suggest a certain looseness with anatomical detail, the specificity of the faces suggests they represent real people. At the Whitney Humanities Center, we decided to try to identify the faces. Yale’s own promotional material tells one story: a brochure detailing a walking tour itinerary of the campus claims that “the archway is decorated with carved heads not of scholars but of the construction staff.” Was this true?