Leaders of the World (alternate title: The Fiery Chariot Race in New York) was an electric advertising sign in New York City from 1910 to 1912 and one of the largest in New York City when it was built. It displayed an animated scene of a Roman chariot race along with a text message for the advertiser. The sign began operation on July 19, 1910, and was destroyed in a storm on February 22, 1912.
The sign’s manufacturer ran an international contest to solicit marketing ideas. It was not a commercial success, but there were references to it in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writings.
The sign was erected by the Rice Electric Display Company of Dayton, Ohio, on the roof of the Hotel Normandie, on Broadway and 38th Street, near Herald Square, taking approximately 90 days to complete. This was the third such sign installed. The first one had been erected in Dayton, and a second one in Detroit, Michigan. A smaller version of the sign was later put up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The sign had approximately 20,000 electric light bulbs, used 600 horsepower (450 kW), included more than 95 miles (153 km) of electrical wire, and had 70,000 electrical connections. The supporting structure on which it was mounted included 60 short tons (54 t) of steel. At the time of its construction, it had ten times as many electric bulbs as the next largest electric sign on Broadway. It was constructed off-site and required eight railroad cars to transport the pieces to New York.
The first evening of operation was July 19, 1910, at which it “attracted such a crowd that the police had difficulty in keeping the people in check.” At the sign’s commissioning, Elwood E. Rice gave a celebration party on the roof of the Marlborough Hotel, two blocks south of the Normandie at 38th street, with a good view of the sign. The party included an orchestra and buffet lunch, and was by invitation only.
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