TOUR TO WALL STREET WITH LICENSED TOUR GUIDE OF NEW YORK

TOUR TO WALL STREET WITH LICENSED TOUR GUIDE OF NEW YORK

Wall Street is better known as the New York Stock Exchange, one reason why New York is the preminent city of the capitalist world. Like Federal Hall up the street, the Stock exchange is a temple dating from the period when classical architecture was de rigueur for all important buildings. Shortly after the american revolution the Congress sitting in the Federal Hall issued about 80 million USD in bonds to pay for the war debt. A central market place became necessary for these securities and after a few years of informal trading outdoors and in coffehouses, a group of 24 brokers got togehter and drew up the Buttonwood Agreement ( 1792) which marks the formal beginnings of new York stock exchange.

The street symbolizes the historic triumphs, failures and excesses of capitalism, but it has also been the scene of great human achievements and epic tragedies. Like America itself, "The Street" has shown almost boundless optimism and tenacity in the face of adversity. It has also revealed a surprising weakness for foolishness along with an unpredictable capacity for bursts of genius, innovation and success.

The great figural sculptures on the NYSE building’s façade are among the building’s most recognizable and photographed features.In 1903, John Quincy Adams Ward, a prolific and well-known American sculptor, designed the pediment where the NYSE has its daily activity.

Entitled “Integrity Protecting the Works of Man”, the classical design depicts the 22 foot figure of Integrity in the center, with Agriculture and Mining to her left and Science, Industry and Invention on her right, representing the sources of American prosperity. The waves on either extreme of the pediment symbolize the ocean-to-ocean influence of the Exchange.

In 1936, due to the combined effects of the statuary’s weight ― 90 tons ― together with the ravages of pollution and flaws in the marble, the Exchange had to replace the marble figures with lead-coated replicas weighing only 10 tons.