When American Airlines terminal 8 opened in 1960 at JFK Airport (then known as Idlewild), its most notable feature was the great window of stained-glass. An enormous Robert Sowers red, white and blue stained-glass window welcomed travelers to AA's terminal for over 45 years. The 317' x 23' window with over 900 individual panels is a massive - and beloved - piece of aviation history.
But the same half-century took it's toll on the rest of the terminal and AA decided a few years ago to demolish terminal 8 and build anew. While no one questioned the need for an updated terminal, many worried about the fate of the iconic stained-glass window.
While numerous groups tried to save the massive structure, it was just deemed too large to save intact. It was eventually dismantled and the deconstruction work was completed a few weeks ago. It was a sad day for many.
But now you can see or even own a piece of it. For those travel geeks who treasure the history of this business, you can soon see parts of this structure at both the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island and at AA's C.R. Smith Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Also, Olde Good Things, the salvaging company that removed the massive artwork plans to sell parts of the structure in its' Chelsea store. The shop received about 750 pieces and is selling them for about $95/square foot. The pieces are numbered and the store provides a map of the original window, so customers know their piece resided.
Click here to find out more.
For sale: pieces of American Airlines' landmark JFK window [Newsday]
Demolishing a celebrated wall of glass [NY Times]
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