The Chicago Lincoln

Last updated
The Chicago Lincoln
'Beardless Lincoln'
ChicagoLincoln Statue.jpeg
Artist Avard Fairbanks
Year1956
Medium Bronze sculpture with a polished pink granite base [1]
Dimensions400 cm× 150 cm× 170 cm(156 in× 58 in× 68 in)
Location Lincoln Square, Chicago
Coordinates 41°58′08″N87°41′19″W / 41.968756°N 87.688666°W / 41.968756; -87.688666

The Chicago Lincoln is a statue of a standing, beardless Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Square Chicago. The statue was designed by Lloyd Ostendorf for a city contest and modeled by sculptor Avard Fairbanks. The statue was erected on October 16, 1956.

Contents

Description

The statue displays Lincoln as he appeared when visiting Chicago for various speeches and events such as the River and Harbor Convention or when meeting Vice President-elect Hannibal Hamlin to discuss the organization of his Cabinet. [2] The sculpture of Lincoln is intended to symbolize liberty, and shows Lincoln holding a set of books and his stovepipe hat in his left hand while his right hand is resting on a podium. [1] On the pedestal's southern face, the inscription reads: [1] [3]

FREE SOCIETY IS NOT, AND
SHALL NOT BE A FAILURE.
Abraham Lincoln
Chicago Dec. 10, 1856

The bronze sculpture is a larger-than-life representation of Lincoln; its height measures to 7 feet 6 inches (229 cm) [1] compared to Lincoln's reported height of 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm). [4]

The quotation is from a speech given by Lincoln at a Republican banquet in Chicago in the aftermath of the 1856 presidential election, in which the Republican candidate (John C. Frémont) was defeated by the pro-slavery Democrat James Buchanan. [5]

History

Base plate description of The Chicago Lincoln ChicagoLincoln Inscription2.jpeg
Base plate description of The Chicago Lincoln

The idea for a statue was first proposed by Alderman John Hoellen in 1951 as a memorial to Abraham Lincoln. [3] This proposal was later submitted as a bill to the Illinois General Assembly and signed by Governor William Stratton. The proposal created a committee to plan how the structure was to be created. The committee decided to organize a nationwide contest, allowing individuals to submit designs and ideas for the new statue. A collector of Lincoln images, Lloyd Ostendorf, was declared the winner; Ostendorf won a $500 prize for his submitted sketch of Lincoln without his beard and standing up. [2] The statue was sculpted by Avard Fairbanks at a cost of $35,000. [2] [3]

The statue was originally placed in the street at the intersections of Lincoln, Lawrence, and Western Avenues in a triangular traffic island. However, the three-street intersection coupled with its heavy traffic load and the statue's presence was problematic, and made it among Chicago's three most dangerous intersections: in 1975 alone, the intersection accounted for 109 automobile accidents. [2] Late in 1978 or early in 1979, the statue was moved approximately 50 feet east to its present location, which is at, but no longer in, the redesigned intersection of Lawrence and Western Avenues: it now sits in front of a local Walgreens. [1] [2]

In 1992, the statue was considered to be urgently in need of treatment after an assessment from the Smithsonian Institution. [1] It was later treated and restored in 1996 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its unveiling. [3]

Construction

Fairbanks, the sculptor, reported that he initially created a sketch followed by small, clay model of the statue before starting on the full-size statue. The clay used on the final statue originated from Illinois. [6] To prepare the full-size statue, an armature using wood, wire mesh, and an iron rod was constructed to keep the statue upright while it was being created. Fairbanks built the statue anatomically (nude) at first, and then moved to add clothing and worked on the extremities toward the end of his work. [7] The podium in the statue was planned based on Fairbanks' review of common photographs of Lincoln during his presidential campaign. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augustus Saint-Gaudens</span> American sculptor and engraver (1848–1907)

Augustus Saint-Gaudens was an Irish and American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who embodied the ideals of the American Renaissance. Saint-Gaudens was born in Dublin to an Irish-French family, and raised in New York City. He traveled to Europe for further training and artistic study. After he returned to New York City, he achieved major critical success for his monuments commemorating heroes of the American Civil War, many of which still stand. Saint-Gaudens created works such as the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial on Boston Common, Abraham Lincoln: The Man, and grand equestrian monuments to Civil War generals: General John Logan Memorial in Chicago's Grant Park and William Tecumseh Sherman at the corner of New York's Central Park. In addition, he created the popular historicist representation of The Puritan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulysses S. Grant Memorial</span> US historic place in Washington, D.C.

The Ulysses S. Grant Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring American Civil War general and 18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant. It sits at the base of Capitol Hill, below the west front of the United States Capitol. Its central sculpture of Grant on horseback faces west, overlooking the Capitol Reflecting Pool and facing toward the Lincoln Memorial, which honors Grant's wartime president, Abraham Lincoln. Grant's statue is raised on a pedestal decorated with bronze reliefs of the infantry; flanking pedestals hold statues of protective lions and bronze representations of the Union cavalry and artillery. The whole is connected with marble covered platforms, balustrades, and stairs. The Grant and Lincoln memorials define the eastern and western ends, respectively, of the National Mall.

<i>Titanic</i> Memorial (Washington, D.C.) United States historic place

The TitanicMemorial is a granite statue in Washington, D.C., that honors the men who gave their lives so that women and children might be saved during the sinking of the Titanic. Ten days after the sinking on April 25, 1912, a group of women formed a committee to raise money for a memorial to honor the sacrifice, with a limit of $1 per person. After sending thousands of cards to other women throughout the U.S., the funds the committee had raised alongside funding from the federal government was enough to complete the project. A competition was announced for a memorial design and several were submitted. The winning design by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who later opened the Whitney Museum of American Art, became her first major commission.

<i>Abraham Lincoln: The Man</i> Statue of Abraham Lincoln standing by Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Abraham Lincoln: The Man is a larger-than-life size 12-foot (3.7 m) bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. The original statue is in Lincoln Park in Chicago, and later re-castings of the statue have been given as diplomatic gifts from the United States to the United Kingdom, and to Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emancipation Memorial</span> Memorial by Thomas Ball

The Emancipation Memorial, also known as the Freedman's Memorial or the Emancipation Group is a monument in Lincoln Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It was sometimes referred to as the "Lincoln Memorial" before the more prominent national memorial was dedicated in 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avard Fairbanks</span> American sculptor

Avard Tennyson Fairbanks was a 20th-century American sculptor. Over his eighty-year career, he sculpted over 100 public monuments and hundreds of artworks. Fairbanks is known for his religious-themed commissions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including the Three Witnesses, Tragedy of Winter Quarters, and several Angel Moroni sculptures on spires of the church's temples. Additionally, Fairbanks sculpted over a dozen Abraham Lincoln-themed sculptures and busts among which the most well-known reside in the U.S. Supreme Court Building and Ford's Theatre Museum.

<i>Young Abe Lincoln</i> 1962 public artwork by David K. Rubins

Young Abe Lincoln, is a 1962 public artwork by American artist David K. Rubins, located outside of the government center near the Indiana State House, in Indianapolis, Indiana, US. This bronze sculpture is a depiction of a young Abraham Lincoln, an Abraham Lincoln that spent the majority of his formative years in Indiana.

<i>Abraham Lincoln</i> (relief by Schwarz) Work of public art

The Abraham Lincoln commemorative plaque is a work of public art designed by Marie Stewart in 1906, created by Rudolph Schwarz, and dedicated on 12 February 1907.

<i>Coal Miner</i> (statue) Statue by John J. Szaton

Coal Miner is a public artwork by Polish American artist John J. Szaton (1907–1966) which is located in two US State capitals; the original, commissioned in 1963 in Springfield, Illinois, as well as a copy on the west lawn of the Indiana State House in Indianapolis The statues commemorate coal miners who had lost their lives in those states' mining industry. The 7-foot (2.1 m) tall statue rests on a 3-foot (0.91 m) square, granite base supported by a cement foundation that is 4–6 inches (100–150 mm) thick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bust of Abraham Lincoln (Indianapolis)</span> Public artwork by Thomas Dow Jones

Abraham Lincoln is a public artwork by American sculptor and medallist Thomas Dow Jones, located in the Indiana Statehouse, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The painted plaster bust of Abraham Lincoln that resides in the Indiana Statehouse is a copy of an 1861 clay bust. Several versions of the bust exist in plaster, marble, and bronze mediums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Abraham Lincoln (Milwaukee)</span> Statue of Abraham Lincoln by Gaetano Cecere

A statue of Abraham Lincoln by American artist Gaetano Cecere is installed along Lincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The 10'6" bronze sculpture depicts a young beardless Abraham Lincoln. The former president stands looking down with both hands at his sides.

<i>Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State</i>

Abraham Lincoln: The Head of State is a 9-foot (2.7 m) tall bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln in Grant Park, in Chicago. Created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and completed by his workshop in 1908, it was intended by the artist to evoke the loneliness and burden of command felt by Lincoln during his presidency. The sculpture depicts a contemplative Lincoln seated in a chair, and gazing down into the distance. The sculpture is set upon a pedestal and a 150-foot (46 m) wide exedra designed by architect Stanford White.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Monument (Philadelphia)</span> Statue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lincoln Monument (Philadelphia) is a monument honoring Abraham Lincoln in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of the first initiated in memory of the assassinated president, the monument was designed by neoclassical sculptor Randolph Rogers and completed in 1871. It is now located northeast of the intersection of Kelly Drive and Sedgley Drive, opposite Boathouse Row.

<i>Abraham Lincoln: The Hoosier Youth</i> Sculpture by Paul Manship

Abraham Lincoln, The Hoosier Youth is a heroic bronze sculpture by American artist Paul Manship and was commissioned in 1928 by the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company for its headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The statue is 12.5 feet (3.8 m) tall and sits atop a pedestal designed by architect Benjamin Wistar Morris and a granite base. The sculpture depicts a youthful Abraham Lincoln during the time he lived in Indiana. The Lincoln figure wears a handmade shirt, buckskin trousers, and boots. He is seated on a tree stump and holds a book. An ax leans against his leg and a dog is seated beside him. Manship also sculpted four bronze allegorical bas reliefs, one for each side of the pedestal, to represent traits associated with Lincoln: Charity, Fortitude, Justice and Patriotism. The statue was dedicated on 16 September 1932.

<i>Theodore Roosevelt, Rough Rider</i> Bronze equestrian statue by Alexander Phimister Proctor in Portland, Oregon

Theodore Roosevelt, Rough Rider is a bronze sculpture by American artist Alexander Phimister Proctor, formerly located in the South Park Blocks of Portland, Oregon in the United States. The equestrian statue was completed in 1922 and depicts Theodore Roosevelt as the leader of the cavalry regiment that fought during the Spanish–American War called the Rough Riders. It was toppled by demonstrators during the Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage in October 2020 and has not been restored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Abraham Lincoln (District of Columbia City Hall)</span> Statue by Lot Flannery in Washington, D.C., U.S.

Abraham Lincoln is a marble sculpture of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln by Irish artist Lot Flannery, located in front of the old District of Columbia City Hall in Washington, D.C., United States. The statue is the nation's oldest extant memorial to the president and was installed several blocks from Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was assassinated. Flannery was present at the theater on the night of Lincoln's assassination.

<i>The Pioneer Mother Memorial</i> Bronze sculpture by Avard Fairbanks in Vancouver, Washington, U.S.

The Pioneer Mother Memorial, also known as Pioneer Mother and Pioneer Mothers, is a 1928 bronze sculpture by American artist Avard Fairbanks, installed at Esther Short Park in Vancouver, Washington, in the United States. The memorial depicts a mother and three children, and commemorates pioneer mothers who settled in the Pacific Northwest. The main female figure may depict Esther Short, one of the first U.S. citizens to arrive in Fort Vancouver. Commissioned by Vancouver banker Edward Crawford and his wife Ida for $10,000, it is one of the city's oldest works of public art, acquired in 1928 and unveiled in 1929. The sculpture was renovated around the start of the 21st century and is maintained by the City of Vancouver's Parks & Recreation department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulysses S. Grant Monument</span> Monument in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois

The Ulysses S. Grant Monument is a presidential memorial in Chicago, honoring American Civil War general and 18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant. Located in Lincoln Park, the statue was commissioned shortly after the president's death in 1885 and was completed in 1891. Several artists submitted sketches, and Louis Rebisso was selected to design the statue, with a granite pedestal suggested by William Le Baron Jenney. At the time of its completion, the monument was the largest bronze statue cast in the United States, and over 250,000 people were present at the dedication.

The Young Lincoln is a statue of Abraham Lincoln created by James Lee Hansen in 1941, installed in Los Angeles' Spring Street Courthouse, in the U.S. state of California.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Chicago Lincoln, (sculpture)". Art Inventories Catalog. Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS). Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 B., Mona (August 2012). "The Beardless Lincoln and why he was moved". Lincoln Square / Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Lincoln Statue – Lincoln Square". Goethe-Institut. Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  4. Sandburg, Carl. (1926). Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years. Harcourt, Brace & Company. p. 14. ISBN   0156027526. OCLC   6579822.
  5. Lincoln, Abraham (July 7, 2001). Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 2.
  6. Fairbanks, Avard Tennyson (2002). Eugene F. Fairbanks (ed.). Abraham Lincoln Sculpture Created by Avard T. Fairbanks. Fairbanks Art and Books. p. 60. ISBN   0972584102.
  7. 1 2 Fairbanks 2002, p. 62.