Archive for May, 2009
Roger B. Taney Monument in Mount Vernon
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North Mount Vernon Place (Street View)
GPS: 39° 17′ 52.60″ N 76° 36′ 56.62″ W
History
Roger Brooke Taney was the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America, and is most historically noted for authoring the Dred Scott Decision (Dred Scott v. Sanford), which ruled that “…slaves could not win freedom by escaping to a free state and that no black person could be a U.S. citizen,” and which is considered an indirect cause of the Civil War. Taney was, presumably, operating under a conceptual framework of dual federalism, in which individual states were seen as sovereign and separate from the federal government. Before being appointed to the Supreme Court under Andrew Jackson, Taney also served as Attorney General for his home state of Maryland and was the twelfth Attorney General of the United States. He also notably kept a home in Frederick, MD where he practiced law with his partner Francis Scott Key, who authored the National Anthem. Taney died during the final months of the Civil War on the same day that Maryland abolished slavery. President Lincoln made no public statement regarding Taney’s death or career. In 1865, controversy raged over the creation of a memorial bust of Taney to be displayed along with the four other chief justices who preceded him. Congress rejected the proposal and Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner proposed that a vacant spot be left in Taney’s space. In 1873 when Taney’s successor, Salmon Chase, died, Congress finally appropriated funds for both busts to be displayed in the Capitol. A statue of Justice Taney resides outside the Maryland State House, and Baltimore’s exquisite monument to this complicated figure is a re-cast of that 1871 sculpture by William Henry Rinehart. It was donated to the city by the Walters family in 1887.
Notes
Taney is situated just north of the Washington Monument proper, in a sunny location. He faces south and to his left you can see the elegantly beautiful spire of Mount Vernon Place Methodist Church, a building “…named by the American Institute of Architects as the most significant in the city of Baltimore.”
Nearby
- Washington Monument
- Marquis de Lafayette
- Severn Teackle Wallis
- John Eager Howard
- George Peabody
- Sea Urchin in Mount Vernon
- Military Courage Statue
Links
- On Panoramio [2] [3] & Flickr [2]
- Taney on Find a Grave
- Taney monument on Smithsonian sculpture index
- City Paper article on Baltimore monuments, with info on Taney
War, Peace, Order and Force in Mount Vernon
The famous French artist Antoine-Louis Barye created a series of monuments, each depicting a man, boy and beast that decorate the Place du Carrousel, Louvre. William Walters purchased smaller bronze reproductions of War, Peace, Order and Force and donated them to the City of Baltimore. The Walters were strong supporters of Barye during his career. Their art gallery contains over one hundred sculptures, paintings and sketches by the expert animalier. Along with the Barye Lion, War, Peace, Order and Force are on public display year round circling the George Washington Monument in Mount Vernon Place. The statues were dedicated in 1885.
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| War | Peace | Order | Force |
Hans Schuler’s Centennial Eagle at City Hall
Hans Schuler’s Centennial Eagle, created for the centennial celebration of the writing of the Star-Spangled Banner, is displayed on City Hall’s second floor. The sculpture, dedicated in 1914, was originally placed on the outside front of the building, but has since been restored and moved inside. A dedication plaque is affixed to the statue’s plinth. Its inscription reads: TO COMMEMORATE THE CENTENARY OF THE WRITING OF THE AMERICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM “THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER”
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Eli Siegel Stone in Druid Hill Park
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Swann Drive & Mansion House Drive (Street View – approximate)
GPS: 39° 19′ 1.16″ N 76° 38′ 29.32″ W
History
Eli Siegel was a poet and philosopher during his storied life, creating a body of work that few in his generation can match. He was also an extremely polarizing figure, gaining ardent supporters along with staunch opponents. Born in Baltimore, Siegel, however, spent most of his life in Greenwich Village, New York City. In the 1930s he was master of ceremonies for a popular poetry and jazz night, known for his charged readings of his work. When he was subsequently fired from this job he started the Aesthetic Realism movement, continuing to teach until his 1978 suicide. In 2002, a monument was dedicated in Druid Hill Park in his honor. Then Mayor Martin O’Malley declared August 16 Eli Siegel day in Charm City and a generous ceremony took place at the stone’s unveiling.
Notes
Artist Chaim Koppelman was commissioned to create the monument. Koppelman began studying under Siegel in 1940, and is on the faculty of the Aesthetic Realism Foundation. His work, primarily sketches and drawings, can be found in the Archives of American Art.
Nearby
- William Wallace Statue
- Columbus Monument (Druid Hill)
- George Washington (Druid Hill)
- John Cook Garden & Sundial
- The Repeal Statue
- Wagner Bust
Links
Aesthetic Realism?
Michael Bluejay has a website devoted to discrediting the teachings of Eli Siegel and the organization that continues to carry out his ideas. The site is the first item listed when a search for Aesthetic Realism is carried out, due to it being a sponsored link. A counter webpage, put up by Siegel’s organization, claims that Mr. Bluejay is untrue and it goes on to deface him as follows.
[Source]
Most of that falsification is being purveyed on the web pages of a Michael Bluejay. He is someone who, on his personal website, has published naked pictures of himself—including photos of himself in full frontal nudity, and riding a tricycle naked. He also points as a source of pride to his having worn “a dress to a strip club” without having gotten “beat up.”
Christopher Columbus Statue in Druid Hill Park
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Hanlon Drive at the northwest corner of Druid Lake (Street View)
GPS: 39° 19′ 9.60″ N 76° 38′ 30.60″ W
History
The first monument dedicated to Christopher Columbus in the United States is the 44 foot tall obelisk on Hartford Road, just east of Lake Montebello. The structure was erected, in 1792, to commemorate the three-hundred year anniversary of the explorer’s discovery of America. During the 19th century a local legend developed stating that the obelisk was actually a monument to a horse of the same name, not the explorer. The Italian community refused to recognize the obelisk, eventually collecting funds and erecting their own statue on the shore of Druid Lake. On Columbus Day in 1892 the monument was unveiled. The sculpture, carved by Albert Weinert, is a reproduction of artist Achille Canessa’s original. In 1950, Mayor Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr. placed a wreath on the neglected Hartford Road monument, finally putting an end to misconception, and giving equal worth to both memorials.
Notes
A third monument to Chris Columbus stands in the Inner Harbor near the Katyn Memorial and the Public Works Museum. Professor Wayne Schaumburg of Johns Hopkins University states that Mayor William Schaefer planned to move the Weinert Columbus to the Harbor East location but the Druid Hill neighborhood committees protested strongly. Instead, a new statue was created and dedicated, in 1984, with President Reagan attending the ceremony.
Nearby
- Eli Siegel Stone
- William Wallace Statue
- George Washington (Druid Hill)
- John Cook Garden & Sundial
- The Repeal Statue
- Wagner Bust
Links
Richard Wagner Bust in Druid Hill Park
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Just off Lake Drive, on the Mansion House lawn, in Druid Hill Park
GPS: 39° 19′ 16.82″ N 76° 38′ 44.51″ W
History
First Prize for winning the 19th Triennial National Saengerfest, a German cultural festival focused on choral performances, in 1900, was a bronze bust of composer Richard Wagner. The United Singers of Baltimore took the title and the trophy at the contest, which was held in Brooklyn, New York, with the song Sheiden (Parting) by D. Melamet. The singers gifted the statue to the city thereafter and in 1901 it was placed on the lawn of Druid Hill Park’s Mansion House where it remains to this day. The house now serves as the main administrative building for the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. R. P. Golde created the memorial.
Notes
Captain Kidd, the famed Scottish Privateer and Pirate is rumored to have buried a sizable treasure of gold and jewelery near the Mansion House grounds. At one point, so much digging went on that the house’s foundation was in danger and the fortune seekers had to be removed. No treasure was ever located. The Wagner Bust sits on the edge of the road next to what remains of the Boat Lake. The surrounding park is vast and open, making this one of the more tranquil spots within city limits.
Nearby
- Columbus Monument in Druid Hill Park
- George Washington in Druid Hill Park
- John Cook Garden & Sundial
- William Wallace Statue
- Eli Siegel Stone
- The Repeal Statue
Links
- On Panoramio & Flickr
- Druid Hill Park: The Heart of Historic Baltimore by Eden Unger Bowditch & Anne Draddy
John Cook Memorial Rose Garden & Sundial
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3100 Swann Drive in Druid Hill Park (Street View)
GPS: 39° 19′ 5.40″ N 76° 38′ 43.80″ W
History
The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore was established in 1888 on the grounds of Druid Hill Park. Today the greenhouse network continues to thrive with plants from all over the world growing inside the contained environment. in 2004, a $4.8-million renovation took place that linked the main building, or Palm House, with some of the newer structures located behind it. Directly to the right of the Conservatory is the John Cook memorial garden and sundial. Cook was a German-born immigrant that arrived in America in 1853. He came from a long line of florists and continued the family tradition in Baltimore, first tending garden for J. Howard McHenry, the grandson of James McHenry, then opening his own store in 1870. As his career progressed, Cook began performing experiments with his roses, searching for new varieties. His hybrid tea, Radiance, became one of the most popular flowers of the early twentieth century. This garden was dedicated in John Cook’s honor.
Notes
Within the boundaries of the garden rests a strange sundial. From a distance it looks like a piece of modern art, but when you get closer you see the multiple time-telling gnomons jutting out from the structure. The timepiece was created in 1890 by a local stonemason named Peter Hamilton under the direction of the Johns Hopkins mathematics department. It tells the time for numerous places on earth from Cape Cod to Tokyo, but was designed before daylight savings time, and is mostly inaccurate now.
Nearby
- George Washington (Druid Hill)
- Columbus Monument (Druid Hill)
- William Wallace Statue
- Eli Siegel Stone
- Wagner Bust
- The Repeal Statue
Links
William Wallace Monument in Druid Hill Park
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Swann Drive & Mansion House Drive (Street View)
GPS: 39° 19′ 2.48″ N 76° 38′ 28.54″ W
History
William Wallace is one of several monumental figures dedicated within the bounds of Baltimore City to the cause of freedom, independence and the sovereignty of a people. Born around 1270, Wallace was the second son of a Scottish nobleman, Sir Malcolm Wallace, and was a pivotal military leader during the Wars of Scottish Independence waged against the encroaching English monarchs to the south.
By artist David Watson Stevenson, a member of the Royal Academy of Scotland, this magnificent monument was presented to the City of Baltimore by William Wallace Spence in 1893 and was rededicated one hundred years later by the St. Andrews Society of Baltimore. The base is made of Woodstock granite and the statue is modeled after one atop the Abbey Craig near Stirling in Scotland, where Wallace is said to have watched the battle brewing below.
Notes
This monument is inaccessible by car, though you can park along Swann Drive, or you can approach on foot or by bicycle from Druid Lake. Wallace rests on the west end of the lake, sword raised in the air as if charging off to the Turkish Tower at the east end of the reservoir.
Nearby
- Eli Siegel Stone
- George Washington (Druid Hill)
- Christopher Columbus (Druid Hill)
- John Cook Garden & Sundial
- Repeal Statue
- Wagner Bust
Links
Simon Bolivar Bust in Bedford Square
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N Charles Street & St Paul Street & Bedford Place (Street View)
GPS: 39° 20′ 36.56″ N 76° 37′ 17.90″ W
History
Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) is sometimes referred to as the “George Washington of South America.” This bust, by artist Felix de Weldon, was a gift from the government of Venezuela to the City of Baltimore and was dedicated on April 19, 1961. Felix de Weldon is also the sculptor of the famous Marine Corp Memorial, which depicts a determined group of soldiers raising the American flag over Iwo Jima.
According to Baltimore’s City Paper, “Duplicate busts were given to the municipalities of Bolivar, W. Va., Bolivar, Mo., and New Orleans.” Known as a El Libertador – “The Liberator,” Bolivar was inspired by the American Revolution to throw off Spanish rule in South America. He fought in or organized revolutionary actions for close to two decades, resulting in the formation of the nation of Gran Colombia. It’s area encompassed present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama along with small parts of Peru, Brazil, and Guyana. Around the neck of the Bolivar bust is a medallion with a portrait of George Washington.
Notes
The location of this monument compared to most others in the city is a bit far-of-field. Travel north until Charles Street and St. Paul Street merge into one in the neighborhood of Guilford.
There is what might be considered a brother-statue to Bolivar down towards Fells Point of Jose Marti, a Cuban revolutionary hero. Bolivar’s influence on South American politics is felt even today, thanks to a political philosophy referred to in English as Bolivarianism, and the subsequent Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela’s leader, Hugo Chavez. The movement is typified by a strong emphasis on Venezuelan sovereignty, self-sufficiency, equity and patriotic service.
Nearby
Links