A cutesy illustration of New York City's skyline, circa 1977 to September 10, 2001, is now the target of a cease-and-desist order from the Port Authority. Housewares chain Fishs Eddy sells plates, mugs, placemats, etc., that show various NYC landmarks, like the Flatiron Building, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Twin Towers—and the Port Authority is unamused.
According to the NY Times, the Port Authority also objected to a line of dishes that shows the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels:
In a letter to Fishs Eddy dated July 24, Veronica Rodriguez, a lawyer for the authority, asked the store to stop selling anything with these “assets” on them, and to “destroy all materials, documents and other items bearing the assets.”
“Your use of the Port Authority’s assets on dinnerware and other items is of great concern to the Port Authority,” she wrote.
...[The 212 dinnerware art] is no mere harmless, poignant city scene, in the eyes of the Port Authority, which said the dinnerware would “evoke thoughts of the Port Authority, the twin towers, W.T.C. and the September 11th terrorist attacks.”
We'd argue that seeing the new World Trade Center in the skyline reminds us of the September 11 attacks, too. (Why can't we just have post-9/11 cheese plates?)
Fishs Eddy co-owner Julie Gaines told the Times, "Are they going to stop everyone from using the trade center in the skyline? If so, they’d better get going." She added, "If they hurt this pattern, they hurt us" because that particular skyline series of dishes has been a longtime favorite.
Bridge and Tunnel Mug (Fishs Eddy)
Gaines, though, seems to be triumphant against the 1998 cease-and-desist she got for having the Chrysler Building in the skyline—the Art Deco landmark is still on the 212 plates!
