Several bronze plaques commemorating figures from New York City’s rich history have been pried off the buildings they were affixed to this summer, apparently to be sold for scrap metal. The thefts are part of a disturbing trend that includes the theft of a statue of Jackie Robinson from a park in Kansas. The losses include a plaque honoring writer Anaïs Nin and one marking the spot where the short-lived rock venue the Fillmore East hosted legendary acts like Jimi Hendrix and the Who. A third plaque honored Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States.
