3. The Original Ziegfeld Theater’s Rediscovered Mural

The Austrian-American architect Joseph Urban, known for his use of color and decorative use of lines, designed the original Ziegfeld Theater. Because of the auditorium’s egg shape, there weren’t carvings or ornamentations, so in accordance with his fantastical visions, Urban designed a mural for the Ziegfeld Theater, called “The Joy of Life.” The vast mural featured multicolored spinning dancers, musicians, cupids, stags, lovers, leaping gazelles and other medieval elements. It merged with the gold carpets and seats extending upwards, always in sight of the audiences.

Until 2006, there were no remnants of this mural. However, that year antiques dealer John Bermingham located a huge piece (measuring 24 feet wide by 14 feet high), which evidently survived the site’s demolition. It was then displayed at the New York Design Fair.