Pratt Institute - Prattonia Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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The Engine Room The greenish flourescent light you dined in the Pl shop by, the slide projector you took your first art his- tory test by, the elevator which saved you the walk up five floors in the Main Building: all these services used the electricity churned out from the power plant in the basement of East Hall. The power room is one of the oldest operating electrical plants on the East Coast. Pratt has been generating electric power in that room since 1887. The present equipment was installed in 1900. The three steam engine-driven generators are the oldest such units in New York City. They have been chugging away faithfully, day and night, to provide the people of Pratt Institute the electric power they have needed for working, teaching, and learning during the past 75 years. The Library Clock Time is not measured by the passing of the years, but by what one does, what one feels, and what one achieves. me a — EAS is Jawaharlal Nehru fi Vial ava? The Library Ship “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard the Sovereign of Ye Seas. Launched in 1637 by Charles I of England, it was one of the largest ships of its kind. Behind you rests a massive lantern high atop the stern. Note the huge red flag of England waving above. Now moving right along toward the bow of the ship, are stairs that will take us to the main deck. Watch your step please .. If you will move over to your left and lean over the railing, you can see examples of the ship’s magnificent carvings. Note the sunbursts and cupids and on the left is England’s national emblem.Up further you will see the signs of the zodiac and symbols of weapons and armor. Also note the elaborate detail of the cannons. Ahead is the main mast with its familiar crow’s nest. Ladies and gentlemen, as you follow me down these stairs, we will pass the lifeboat, handsomely deco- rated with a carved lion... We are now at the bow of the ship. On the forward prow is the mast head sculpture: an armored knight seated proudly upon a fanci- ful unicorn. That concludes our tour this afternoon. We hope you enjoyed yourself. Do come again.” Illustrations by Leland H. Neff and Miki

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The Cannon Many a Pratt student has vented his emotions on the old Spanish can- non. Coat after thick coat of paint has covered its surface, with styles ranging from op art in the psy- chedelic sixties to a dull black in the strike-bound seventies. Until 1973, when a group of students got together and scraped, scrubbed, polished and buffed the weapon to its original brilliance. Once again, we saw the beauti- fully cut bands of ornament sur- rounding the barrel, and the curvy dolphins that form the handles. The cannon came to us in 1899 from the walls of Morro Cas- tle in Havana. In 1720, it was cast in Seville, bearing the arms of Philip V of Spain. The gun is of bronze with a five-and-one-half inch bore and it weighs some 4300 pounds. The cannon has stood as a symbol of the Institute. In fact, our athletic teams are named “The Cannoneers.” It remains today, as it has for 76 years, silently guarding the Pratt campus. The Gate Remember the first time you saw the gate? How it entranced you! You saw the gate with child-like attrac- tion and you felt compelled to record it. Maybe you had just purchased your first “decent” camera, or perhaps a fresh, unmarked news- print pad. You took the photo and printed it graphically high contrast, or scratched out the swirling lines on paper with rich charcoal. Perhaps you weren't artisti- cally inclined, but admired the eleg- ance and grace of this picturesque collection of curly-cues and twists. No one really knows any of its history, nor cares. Its allure is in its line and form— deep black spirals competing against the bright sky beyond. That’s the magic of the gate. For years, it has excited the imagi- nations of Pratt students. It will continue to do so as long as it stands. ne: reared 4 BG He 0

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The Library The Library, founded in 1888 by Charles Pratt as a public library, cost close to a million dollars. It was the first public library in Brooklyn and the first library anywhere to have a children’s room. Two years later, Pratt established what is now the oldest library school in existence. Looking at the library now, it’s interesting to read a description of how it appeared then. The floors of the stack room were glass slabs set in a white iron framework. The book- shelves were dark oak and sup- ported by iron uprights and brackets which were copper electroplated. The building’s interior was de- fern Ip) ann iM NTU} hua Aah signed by the Tiffany Glass and De- corating Co. The walls and ceilings were of soft yellows, creams, buffs, terra-cottas, and yellow-greens. Siena marble columns and pilasters in the entrance hall complimented the “electric lights of latest device.” The library must have been some- thing else! Well, even if it doesn’t glitter and gleam like it used to, it’s still something else: A handy source of information and a quiet place to escape for a while. The Pratt House The mansion at 229 Clinton Av- enue was built around 1890 and was at one time, the residence of the second president of the Institue, Frederick B. Pratt. He and his wife, Caroline Ladd, lived there until his death in 1945. It was a magnificent home! Rich, dark, oak panels and a fab- ulous staircase were the beginnings of a lavish interior. Other features included a handsome library, and a reception hall which took up almost a third of the spacious floor. The outside was distinguished by a vine-covered portico, graced with sculpted columns in the form of draped ladies and gentlemen. Students began to enjoy the comforts of Pratt House in 1945, when the mansion was given to the Institute and converted into a clubhouse and a dormitory for freshman women. It now serves as a residence for male graduate or in- ternational students.