The Aviator (Charlottesville, Virginia)

Last updated
The Aviator
The Aviator statue outside Clemons Library.JPG
Artist Gutzon Borglum
Year1918
TypeBronze
Dimensions4,400 cm× 3,400 cm(144 ft× 112 ft)
Location Charlottesville, Virginia
OwnerUniversity of Virginia
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationMonument Square, bounded by University and Jefferson Park Aves. and the railroad tracks, Charlottesville, Virginia
Coordinates 38°2′18″N78°30′21″W / 38.03833°N 78.50583°W / 38.03833; -78.50583 Coordinates: 38°2′18″N78°30′21″W / 38.03833°N 78.50583°W / 38.03833; -78.50583
Arealess than one acre
Built1919 (1919)
ArchitectBorglum, Gutzon
Architectural styleLate 19th And 20th Century Revivals
NRHP reference No. 06000758 [1]
VLR No.002-5073
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 9, 2006
Designated VLRJune 8, 2006 [2]

The Aviator is a historical sculpture located on the University of Virginia campus near Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Virginia.

Contents

History

The sculpture is a bronze statue commissioned in honor of University alumnus, James Rogers McConnell’s heroism and courage in World War I, as a member of the Lafayette Escadrille.

The Aviator was designed by Gutzon Borglum and dedicated in 1919. The sculpture measures 12 feet high and 8 feet, 6 inches wide. [3]

It is located in front of Clemons Library on the grounds of the University of Virginia. Due to the library's abundant 24-hour study space available for students, The Aviator is a fixture in everyday life at the University. [4]

It is an athletic male nude with his feet placed shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and arms outstretched supporting a pair of wings. [5] The blade/knife; dirk or possible dagger/stiletto the figure has in his sheath is a recognized symbol of masculinity. [6] [7]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Charleston</span> University in Charleston, West Virginia

The University of Charleston (UC) is a private non-profit university with its main campus in Charleston, West Virginia. The university also has a location in Beckley, West Virginia, known as UC-Beckley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taft Bridge</span> Bridge

The Taft Bridge is a historic bridge located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. It carries Connecticut Avenue over the Rock Creek gorge, including Rock Creek and the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, connecting the neighborhoods of Woodley Park and Kalorama. It is named after former United States president and Supreme Court Chief Justice William Howard Taft, and sits to the southwest of the Duke Ellington Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia University of Lynchburg</span> Private HBCU in Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S.

Virginia University of Lynchburg is a private historically black Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. The university is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools and offers instruction and degrees, primarily in religious studies, including a Doctorate of Ministry program. The campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse Show Fountain</span>

The Horse Show Fountain, also known as the Wright-Bock Fountain, is located in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. The fountain, first erected in 1909, has been widely attributed to both sculptor Richard Bock and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Though the fountain currently stands at the corner of Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street within Scoville Park, neither the fountain nor the location is original. Its original location was 100 ft from its present location, and the fountain was completely reconstructed in 1969 to replace the badly deteriorated original. The 4.6-acre (19,000 m2) Scoville Park is listed as a historic district in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, but the fountain – because it is a replica – is considered a non-contributing property to the listing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Dakota County, Minnesota</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Dakota County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. Dakota County is located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota, bounded on the northeast side by the Upper Mississippi River and on the northwest by the Minnesota River. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Hennepin County, Minnesota</span>

This list is of the properties and historic districts which are designated on the National Register of Historic Places or that were formerly so designated, in Hennepin County, Minnesota; there are 186 entries as of October 2021. A significant number of these properties are a result of the establishment of Fort Snelling, the development of water power at Saint Anthony Falls, and the thriving city of Minneapolis that developed around the falls. Many historic sites outside the Minneapolis city limits are associated with pioneers who established missions, farms, and schools in areas that are now suburbs in that metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Ramsey County, Minnesota</span>

This is a complete list of National Register of Historic Places listings in Ramsey County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, Minnesota</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Sauk County, Wisconsin</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Sauk County, Wisconsin. It is intended to provide a comprehensive listing of entries in the National Register of Historic Places that are located in Sauk County, Wisconsin. The locations of National Register properties for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below may be seen in a map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Brown County, Wisconsin</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Brown County, Wisconsin. It is intended to provide a comprehensive listing of entries in the National Register of Historic Places that are located in Brown County, Wisconsin. The locations of National Register properties for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below may be seen in a map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Monterey County, California</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Monterey County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Louis County, Minnesota</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John W. Boone House</span> Historic house in Missouri, United States

The John W. Boone House, also known as the Stuart P. Parker Funeral Home, is a historic home located at Columbia, Missouri. It was built about 1890, and is a two-story frame house that measures roughly 46 feet by 45 feet. It was the home of ragtime musician John William 'Blind' Boone. The home, which is owned by the City of Columbia, had fallen into a state of severe disrepair, but is now under restoration

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confederate Monument (Portsmouth, Virginia)</span> United States historic place

The Confederate Monument in Portsmouth, Virginia, was built between 1876 and 1881. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dupont Circle Fountain</span> Artwork by Daniel Chester French

The Dupont Circle Fountain, formally known as the Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Dupont Memorial Fountain, is a fountain located in the center of Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. It honors Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont, a prominent American naval officer and member of the Du Pont family. The fountain replaced a statue of Du Pont that was installed in 1884. Designed by Henry Bacon and sculpted by Daniel Chester French, the fountain was dedicated in 1921. Prominent guests at the dedication ceremony included First Lady Florence Harding, Secretary of War John W. Weeks and Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgemont (Covesville, Virginia)</span> Historic house in Virginia, United States

Edgemont, also known as Cocke Farm, is a historic home located near Covesville, Albemarle County, Virginia. It was built about 1796, and is a one- to two-story, three bay, frame structure in the Jeffersonian style. It measures 50 feet by 50 feet, and sits on a stuccoed stone exposed basement. The house is topped by a hipped roof surmounted by four slender chimneys. The entrances feature pedimented Tuscan order portico that consists of Tuscan columns supporting a full entablature. Also on the property is a rubble stone garden outbuilding with a hipped roof. The house was restored in 1948 by Charlottesville architect Milton Grigg (1905–1982). Its design closely resembles Folly near Staunton, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Rogers Clark Monument</span>

The George Rogers Clark Monument was a historic monument consisting of multiple figures that was formerly located in Monument Square at Charlottesville, Virginia. Erected in November 1921, the monument consisted of seven figures, by the sculptor Robert Ingersoll Aitken, presented on the same pedestal. It was the last in a sequence of four works commissioned from members of the National Sculpture Society by philanthropist Paul Goodloe McIntire during the years 1919 to 1924. The sculpture was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Arvon and Gwyn Arvon</span> Historic houses in Virginia, United States

Bryn Arvon and Gwyn Arvon are two historic homes located at Arvonia, Buckingham County, Virginia. They were built about 1891–1892, and are two slate-covered Queen Anne style dwellings. Also on the property are a contributing garage, water tower, barn, two entrance piers, the site of a house foundation, a pump house, and a storage building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

Frederick County Courthouse is a historic county courthouse located at Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia. It was built in 1840, and is a two-story, rectangular, brick building on a stone foundation and partial basement in the Greek Revival style. It measures 50 feet by 90 feet, and features a pedimented Doric order portico and a gabled roof surmounted by a cupola. Also on the property is a contributing Confederate monument, dedicated in 1916, consisting of a bronze statue of a soldier on a stone base.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System  (#06000758)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register - The Aviator". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on 2021-05-11. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  3. "The Aviator, (sculpture)". Inventory of American Sculpture. Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  4. "UVA Library". www.library.virginia.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-04-22. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  5. Susan Smead and Taryn Harrison (April 2006). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: The Aviator" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-07-05. Retrieved 2021-08-05. and Accompanying photo Archived 2021-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Ornate Yemeni Knives Mark Status, Masculinity". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 2017-02-27. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
  7. Schotten, C. (2009-07-20). Nietzsche's Revolution: Décadence, Politics, and Sexuality. ISBN   9780230623224. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05. Retrieved 2020-12-04.