The Plaza is an old institution, that is an obvious fact. However, the Plaza’s age comes with a special grandeur. It smartly capitalizes on its antiquity turning it into a strange sense of legacy and novelty all at once. Instead of the Plaza becoming uninteresting, stale or pathetically struggling to keep up with the times, it has developed a timeless refinement and class that is in many ways refreshing. From the valet service outside, dressed in thick black coats with gold embroidery on the coat cuffs with white gloves, heading over to park a shiny sleek silver mustang to the smiling helpfulness of the greeters indoors, this service is interestingly and entertainingly old school.
That is a large part of the appeal of the Plaza and it is perfectly encompassed in the shoe shining services shown in the picture above. Having one’s shoes polished in the 18th and 19th century was representative of having class. The act of shoe shining takes some time when done properly, thus allowing for conversation between the shoe shiner and his patron. This is why shoe shining stands were seen as hubs of information as well as a place to improve one’s appearance. A shoe shining stand is truly an experience which provides a great contrast to how most services are conducted now. Everything is so accessible and we are so used to getting what we need quickly without pomp or frills attached. The Plaza adds pomp, frills and so much more. The seats in the shoe shining parlor were made with caramel – brown soft leather and individual footrests that allowed for optimal comfort and shine. There is also a brown velvet rope that implies that the people getting their shoes shined are elite. When I took this picture, the shoe shiner smiled kindly, offered drinks to his customers and then proceeded to clean their shoes while asking about their days. Nowadays this kind of interaction is a novelty. The Plaza has remained devoted to personal friendly service that provides the recipient with a sense of both tradition and a sense of importance. The Plaza provides elitism presented kindly and traditionally which is amusing for the people of today.
I thought it was interesting when you said the Plaza “capitalizes on antiquity,” I personally never have thought about it in this way, but it does make sense. Everyone regards the plaza with the elite and expects grandeur, luxury, and antiquity and the plaza definitely delivers to expectations. Something as outmoded as a shoe shining service conveys so much about the Plaza itself. It really does show how the Plaza uses archaic services to provide a distinct experience which displays aristocracy. When you go to the Plaza people spend money on such services because of the class it represents and it is so unlike anything the modern and technology filled world outside can accommodate. It really is interesting how you choose to focus on how unique the Plaza is and how they play to their assets and the elites expectations.
I really love this picture. The timeless aesthetics of the Plaza have been established over and over throughout many different generations, with all of its prestige and grandeur. All of that is exhibited here, from the materials used in the building itself to the suits that the customers are wearing. We can see how the elitist, expensive destination that is The Plaza has remained such a luxurious space in New York City. Another aspect that I really appreciated about this image was the fact that it depicted shoe shining. This is something that I think many people think of in reference to the past, with decreasing popularity over time. So to me, it almost feels like a glimpse of the history of not only The Plaza, but part of NYC as well, yet in a modern take.