9. The Rocket Thrower
Sculpture Donald DeLue had only six months to create The Rocket Thrower after petitioning Robert Moses for a commission at the 1964 World’s Fair. The sculpture, which can be found between the Pool of Reflections and the Unisphere, measures 43 feet tall and depicts a bronze figure hurling a rocket toward the heavens with his right hand. With his left hand, the subject is reaching for a constellation of gilded stars.
This sculpture was based on another idea DeLue had for a commission at the Union Carbide Building (270 Park Avenue) entitled Man Conquering Space. The sculpture symbolized “man’s relationship to space and his venturesome spirit backed up by all the powers of his intelligence for the exploration of a new dimension.”The Rocket Thrower debuted on April 22, 1964, shortly before the fair opened.
