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Now, this could be purely coincidental, but then again, Philadelphia has a history of high-profile puckish humor that dates back to Benjamin Franklin. The city’s art gallery houses several famous examples of Dada art, including a thematically linked Marcel Duchamp readymade: a porcelain urinal turned on its side and entitled Fountain. So the “Is that what I think it is?” moment you get at the sight of Penn on City Hall may have been intentional. But one thing’s sure: The sculptor Alexander Milne Caulder didn’t intend it. He never wanted his statue to be stuck on top of a tower. In the interests of research, Weird Pennsylvania took a stroll beside City Hall to see where the statue appears to be aiming. The result raised more questions than answers. From an unscientific analysis of direction, distance, and angle, the intended target would appear to be the historic Masonic Temple and Methodist Episcopal buildings. There’s a punchline in there somewhere. Figure it out for yourself. You can read about all of Pennsylvania’s Roadside Oddities and other curious attractions if Weird Pennsylvania. |
