Archive for March, 2009
Sealed Glass Bottle in Washington Monument
[Source]
The corner-stone of the monument was laid on the 4th of July, 1815, with great ceremony. In the stone a copper plate was deposited, on one side of which was engraved,—
“On the 4th of July, A.d. 1815, was laid this Foundation Stone Of a monument to be erected to the memory of George Washington.”
“A sealed glass bottle was also deposited, containing a likeness of Washington, his valedictory address, the several newspapers printed in the city, and the different coins of the United States.
Sculptor Hans Schuler
Sculptor Hans Schuler (1874-1951) was born in Alsace-Lorraine, Germany. He moved with his family to the United States as a child, settling in Baltimore, where he spent the rest of his life. Schuler studied at the Rinehart School of Sculpture at the Maryland Institute College Art, and eventually traveled to France to further his education with Raoul Verlet. In 1901, he won the Salon Gold Medal in Paris, making him the first American sculptor to receive the prestigious award. Along with his numerous outdoor public monuments in Baltimore, his work can also be found in important art galleries such as the Walters Art Museum and the Fogg Art Museum. He also created a multitude of cemetery pieces, most of which are located in Green Mount, Loudon Park and Druid Ridge Cemeteries. Hans Schuler was director of MICA from 1925 until the year of his death.
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| O’Donovan Memorial | Cochran Memorial | Hilken Memorial | Marburg Memorial |
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| Meditations | Baejter Memorial | Schmeisser Memorial | Commodore Rollins |
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| Maulsby Memorial | Riggs Memorial | Fallsway Fountain | Martin Luther |
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| Johns Hopkins | Johns Hopkins | Johns Hopkins | Sidney Lanier |
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| Samuel Smith | General Pulaski | Zion Church War Memorial | Zion Church Eagle |
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| To the Glory of Maryland | Key Death Marker | Centennial Eagle | William Pinkney Whyte |
In 1906, Schuler moved into his studio and residence at 5 E. Lafayette Street, now the Schuler School of Fine Arts and Gallery. Established by his children, the small school offers a curriculum organized around realist art and a study of the Old Masters. Most of Schuler’s work was created in the 2-story, Howard Sill designed building.
Francis Scott Key Monument at Fort McHenry
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Within Fort McHenry’s Constellation Plaza (Street View)
GPS: 39° 15′ 50.91″ N 76° 34′ 54.75″ W
History
This larger-than-life monument depicts the Greek mythological hero of music and poetry, Orpheus with his lyre. Around the base are depictions of Francis Scott Key and the muses celebrating the victory of the American defenders of Fort McHenry against the British in the War of 1812. Key (1779-1843) penned the words to the Star-Spangled Banner (which were subsequently put to a British drinking song) after having watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry from a British vessel, where he was negotiating the release of Dr. William Beanes, a resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. This magnificent piece by sculptor Charles Henry Niehaus was dedicated on June 14, 1922 and was originally situated in the middle of the entrance road to the fort, being moved to its current location in 1962. This monument is one of many in Baltimore commemorating Francis Scott Key. Two others are located in Bolton Hill and Mount Vernon Place, respectively.
Notes
In person, this monument is immense and sits quite imposingly against the open landscape on the south edge of Fort McHenry. In the distance to the south lies the windswept water. Small trees have been planted in the vicinity in honor of George Washington and other heroes. Interestingly, though Key wrote the words to the song in 1814, it was only in 1931 that a law was finally passed making the Star-Spangled Banner the National Anthem of the United States of America. At the dedication of this monument in 1922, President Harding became the first American president to be broadcast on coast-to-coast radio. The pedestal contains a time capsule that holds historic documents.
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Links
- Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine
- Detailed information at the Smithsonian
- Orpheus Marker at HMdb
- On Panoramio [2] [3] & Flickr [2] [3]
On The Trail Statue in Clifton Park
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N Rose Street & Indian Drive in Clifton Park (Street View)
GPS: 39° 19′ 18.54″ N 76° 34′ 55.30″ W
History
A fine example of Edward Berge‘s numerous pieces erected in Baltimore City, On The Trail displays his realist style. Berge was one of the original seven students at the Rinehart School of Sculpture along with friend and colleague Hans Schuler. Standing over seven feet tall the Indian statue gazes steadily over Clifton Park, a terrain once owned and farmed by Johns Hopkins. The land housed National Guard Troops during the riots that followed Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination in 1968, and over a century before was a staging ground for Union Generals during the Civil War. The sculpture garden and lake no longer exist, however, rolling hills and majestic antique buildings still dominate the landscape, and On The Trail remains, more than one hundred years since its installation.
Notes
The monument stands just south of Lake Montebello between the 8th and 9th holes of Clifton Park Golf Course. You might not notice it at first glance, but this monument has an inscription at its base which has been covered up by a bush. However, if you crawl head-first under the bush, you’ll be able to read the plague beneath which bears the official monument title, “ON THE TRAIL,” along with artist info and dedication dates.
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Links
George Armistead Monument at Fort McHenry
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Next to Visitors Center of Ft. McHenry (Street View)
GPS: 39° 15′ 52.55″ N 76° 34′ 47.34″ W
History
Col. George Armistead (1780-1818) was a Virginia-born artillery officer who served as commander of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812′s Battle of Baltimore. Armistead is most well-known for ordering a massive American flag to be installed at the fortress, measuring forty-two feet by thirty feet, “a flag so large that the British would have no difficulty in seeing it from a distance.” The flag contained fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, was crafted by Mary Pickersgill and later became the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s Star Spangled Banner, the National Anthem of the United States of America. Armistead is buried in Old St. Paul’s Cemetery, alongside his nephew Confederate General Lewis Addison Armistead. This monument was dedicated on the twelfth of September in 1914, one hundred years after the Battle of Baltimore. Artist: Edward Berge.
Notes
This monument stands outside the entrance to the visitor’s center at Fort McHenry, which itself is considered a National Monument and Historic Shrine. It is one of two monuments to this military hero in the city, the other located on the crest of Federal Hill, overlooking the Inner Harbor. During WWII, Fort McHenry served as a Coast Guard base.
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Links
George Armistead Monument on Federal Hill
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Federal Hill, Key Highway and Covington Street (Street View)
GPS: 39° 16′ 49.06″ N 76° 36′ 29.23″ W
History
George Armistead was commander of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. One of five brothers to serve in the War of 1812, he rapidly distinguished himself as a courageous soldier. After the Americans took Fort George from the British in 1813, Armistead delivered the captured British flags to President James Madison, prompting his appointment as commander of Fort McHenry. He is most famous for ordering the creation of the Star-Spangled Banner, the muse of our national anthem. Goerge Armistead died in 1818, at 38 years of age and is buried at Old Saint Paul’s Cemetery. This marble monument was dedicated in 1882 with G. Metzger serving as architect.
Notes
One of two memorials to Armistead, the other being at Fort McHenry, this monument sits atop Federal Hill overlooking the Inner Harbor. The Samuel Smith monument and a large American flag stand nearby, along with a nice park and playground. This is the site of much activity during the warmer months and offers an excellent vantage point of the city.
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Links
Major General Samuel Smith Monument on Federal Hill
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Federal Hill, Key Highway and Covington Street (Street View)
GPS: 39° 16′ 49.00″ N 76° 36′ 30.20″ W
History
Samuel Smith (1752-1839) served as major general of the Maryland militias in the War of 1812 and commanded the city’s defenses in the Battle of Baltimore. Smith served two terms as Mayor of Baltimore from 1835 to 1838 and served in Congress for forty years. His country mansion was located slightly west of the present site of Lake Montebello. This monument was dedicated on July 4, 1918 and is another piece by sculptor Hans Schuler. From 1918 to 1953 the statue was located in Wyman Park at Charles and 29th Streets. It was moved in 1953 to Pratt Street and Light Street and moved again in 1970 to its current location.
Notes
Situated on Federal Hill next to the George Armistead Monument, the historic location offers an excellent view of the Inner Harbor. The Pride Memorial stands at the foot of the hill.
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