Taken during research for his series of talks exploring the architectural details and clues of past use of the Salmagundi Clubhouse, architectural historian (and Club member) Anthony Bellov presents highly personal images of oft-overlooked aspects of the building, exciting and challenging the viewer to explore their own perceptions and assumptions of this unique structure.
Multi-faceted Anthony Bellov is an award-winning videographer, pianist, tenor, singing instructor, and architectural historian with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute and a master’s in Museum Leadership from Bank Street College of Education. His video explorations of the world-renown Merchant’s House Museum, in New York’s NoHo have generated great excitement among historic house and architectural preservation advocates. He says, “Successful architecture is a happy manifestation of function expressed as geometry and detail.” Through his still images of buildings, Bellov explores the overarching balance of form with the radiant exclamation point of detail.
His on-going series of talks examining the architectural clues of the former lives of 47 Fifth Avenue (the 1853 mansion now serving as the Salmagundi Clubhouse) dig deeply into what the intentions of the earlier designers, builders, and occupants were, both original and subsequent. His images intentionally challenge the viewer to examine their own relationship with the building and how it informs their experience of the space.
This is his first solo photographic exhibition and the premier exhibition of these intimate photographs of this historic structure. His on-going series of illustrated public talks: “Before Salmagundi: The Evolution of an 1853 Fifth Avenue Mansion” is accessible on YouTube.
47 Fifth: up close and personal through photographs by architectural historian (and Club member) Anthony Bellov will be on view from January 15 through January 29, 2023 in the Salmagundi Club Smith Library, 2nd Floor, 47 Fifth Avenue between 11th/12th Streets, Greenwich Village, NYC.
Salmagundi Club is free and open to the public from 1pm to 6pm Monday through Friday, and from 1pm to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Before Salmagundi: part two will be held on January 17, 2023. Free and open to the public, however seating is limited with RSVP.