Patch Picks: 5 Faces Hidden in Plain Sight

The City of Bethlehem is well-known for its examples of beautiful architecture, particularly in the historic Downtown business district.

Many of these late 19th century gems exemplify the Art Nouveau styling of the period, featuring floral and botanical themes in the facades, along with other common images of the period, including the spirits of nature personified.

We're sure there are more examples out there, but here are five places their faces are hidden in plain sight.

459 Main St.
You may have seen the two faces in the stone that grace the arched entrance to this tribute to architectural craftsmanship on Main, but did you ever notice the Green Man peeking out from the leaves above?

521-529 Main St.
It's hard to know where to begin in describing this breathtakingly beautiful Nouveau monument. But since this piece is all about faces, we'll limit ourselves to these, of which there are four. Since they are so high up, and there is so much else to catch the eye, it's fairly easy to miss these goddesses watching over Main Street.

535 Main St.
If you never noticed these guys before, when you see them in person now, you may be amazed how well they're hidden in plain sight. No excuses here—you don't have to crane your neck to see these faces, which are at street level watching over the entrance.

Bank building, corner of West Broad and Guetter streets
This building yielded an interesting surprise when we subjected it to the scrutiny of our zoom lens. That the corners of the facade are graced with twin personified suns came to our notice years ago, but a closer view reveals those faces appear to be, most curiously, those of satyrs.

Private residence, corner of Main and W. North streets
Once upon a time, popular opinion dictated that even the most basically functional items should be graced with beauty, often literally in the form of an image of a lady. Such is the case with this basement coal chute grate, which features a woman's face at the center of a stylized eye.