Delmonico's Roof (small plate)

Armin Landeck

A view from the top of the famous Delmonico's Building at 56 Beaver Street in New York City. Delmonico's Restaurant, serving the United States's first "Continental" fare, was founded as a cafe by the Swiss-born brothers John and Peter Delmonico in 1827. The Delomico's brand soon became a hospitality empire catering to the wealthy and famous. The wedge-shaped building on Beaver Street would become the longest-lasting location, operating under various owners from 1890 to 2020. The building's current ownership and the future of the Delmonico's name and business have fallen under dispute.

Here, Landeck perches the viewer atop the building's famous flat-iron style roof, looking out over adjoining structures. He spares no detail, capturing cracks in the weathered stone and plants sprouting up through the old wooden planks of the roof's decking. Unlike the glamorous buzz that fills the building's interiors, this part of the Delmonico is quiet, lonesome, and rarely seen.