Happy Birthday Francis Morrone

Francis Morrone, center, giving a tour of the Plaza Hotel.

We heart this architectural historian, prolific writer, and former contributor to the Arts pages of The New York Sun, where he had a loyal following. Many people miss his writing, and we know they will join us in wishing him a Happy 50th birthday.

	An Art Deco image on view at the New York Public Library. Courtesy NYPL

We can’t let the moment pass without calling attention to some of his fine dispatches. It’s a happy coincidence that one of his last pieces for the Sun was a review of the "Art Deco Design: Rhythm and Verve" exhibit at the New York Public Library, which has been extended until May 22. Among the items in the exhibit Mr. Morrone praised were the entomological illustrations by Eugène Alain Séguy (1889-1985): “But something about the installation makes these entomological images jump out at the viewer — you nearly gasp. The beetles — tan and black, green and black, or orange, green, and black — are rendered with brilliant anatomical precision.”

Yet another happy coincidence is that thanks to an article Mr. Morrone wrote about the Plaza Hotel’s restoration, the hotel has recruited him to give free tours of the interiors of the Plaza Hotel. Mr. Morrone speaks as beautifully as he writes, and provided you sign up in advance and follow the hotel’s instructions, you’ll be lucky to experience the Plaza through his eyes. In fact, here’s an excerpt from the tour we attended, in which Mr. Morrone discusses the original lobby of the hotel, now the entrance for condominium owners; the Edwardian Room, briefly known as the Green Tulip, and some of the hotel's famous residents.

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