Arlington tiles
We wrote in Sunday's column about the resurfaced station tiles at Arlington on the Green Line. Since then, reader reaction has been swift, with one and all hoping the work will be preserved, not covered up, as the T plans.
"Like Jonathan of the Back Bay at the sight of the old mosaic at Arlington station, I was both pleasantly surprised a few years ago to see the emergence of the old "South Station Under" tiles during the renovation of that MBTA stop and fearfully resigned to their subsequent disappearance at the hands of contractors -- especially given the fact that the letters were spelled out in the wrong color (blue) for the subway line.
"Surpassing all expectations, though, those tiles were kept in place, cleaned up, and now remain as a reminder of the station's -- and the system's -- past. Workers found a way to build around that ancient signage, and perhaps they can put it to use again in salvaging the beautiful Arlington mosaic." - Jake
Boston College history Professor Peter Weiler corrected us a tad:
"You write: '...the MBTA's historic...wayfaring system, created by the Cambridge 7 architectural firm about 1968. That system, which used colors on trains and pictures in stations to guide riders to what was above ground, was imitated around the world.'
"In fact, the Cambridge 7's system was based on the London Underground, as I can remember one of the members of that firm saying at the time. To be sure, they improved on that system -- placing station names at ground level, for example, so people standing did not have to squat to see where they were -- but pride of place (and, I suspect, influence) belongs to the British, whose system, at least in its modern form, was pretty much in place by the late 1920s."
New York even chimed in:
"I am distressed by your report that the wonderful tile-work at Arlington station, now revealed, may again be buried out of sight. I fervently hope that this action is reconsidered by the T and the architects of the project and that they are restored to their former glory. I suspect that equally beautiful tiles are hidden behind perhaps all the walls of the Green Line stations. How splendid if all of them were brought, sparkling, into the light!
"I live in Manhattan and over the last several years have watched as the subway stations here were renovated, the beautiful tile-work uncovered and restored. They are like jewels.
"I urge the MBTA and its architects to take a tour of the renovated subway stations in NYC to see for themselves the formerly dark and dreary stations remade into showpieces of their neighborhoods.
It would be an act of cultural vandalism if the beauty and craftmanship of the century-old tiles in Boston were not incorporated into the restoration of its historic subway stations." - Steven of Manhattan
