1. The Hidden Murals by Luis Jambor: Buried treasure or Lost Forever?

New Yorker Hotel Lobby in 1930s. Photo via Joe Kinney at the New Yorker Hotel Archives

Hungarian immigrant and artist Luis Jambor painted 26 murals in the New Yorker Hotel spread throughout in the lobby and Grand Ballroom. One of the lobby murals was historical and depicted the settlement of New York by the Dutch. On the other end of the lobby, another showed the skyline of Manhattan. There were also ceiling panels, with a gold background.

New Yorker Hotel Lobby in 1930s. Photo via Joe Kinney at the New Yorker Hotel Archives

Most of the murals appear to have been covered or removed in the numerous renovations. Kinney himself has only seen two, located in the banking hall but covered. The rest, he says, could either be buried treasure beneath later layers or completely lost forever.

Next, see more photos of the hidden tunnel to Penn Station in the New Yorker Hotel and discover the Secrets of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.