National Statuary Hall Collection

Part of the National Statuary Hall Collection.
Presiding over the Hall, Carlo Franzoni's 1819 sculptural chariot clock, the Car of History depicts Clio, the Greek muse of history.

The National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol is composed of statues donated by individual states to honor persons notable in their history. Limited to two statues per state, the collection was originally set up in the old Hall of the House of Representatives, which was then renamed National Statuary Hall. The expanding collection has since been spread throughout the Capitol and its Visitor's Center.

With the addition of New Mexico's second statue in 2005, the collection is now complete with 100 statues contributed by 50 states, plus one from the District of Columbia, plus one for all the states (Rosa Parks). Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, and Ohio have each replaced one of their first two statues after Congress authorized replacements in 2000.

History

The concept of a National Statuary Hall originated in the middle of the nineteenth century, before the completion of the present House wing in 1857. At that time, the House of Representatives moved into its new larger chamber and the old vacant chamber became a thoroughfare between the Rotunda and the House wing. Suggestions for the use of the chamber were made as early as 1853 by Gouverneur Kemble, a former member of the House, who pressed for its use as a gallery of historical paintings. The space between the columns seemed too limited for this purpose, but it was well suited for the display of busts and statuary.

Sculptor Cliff Fragua, right, poses at the unveiling and dedication of the Po'pay statue in September 2005. The statue is the 100th in the collection.

On April 19, 1864, Representative Justin S. Morrill asked: "To what end more useful or grand, and at the same time simple and inexpensive, can we devote it [the Chamber] than to ordain that it shall be set apart for the reception of such statuary as each State shall elect to be deserving of in this lasting commemoration?" His proposal to create a National Statuary Hall became law on July 2, 1864:

[...] the President is hereby authorized to invite each and all the States to provide and furnish statues, in marble or bronze, not exceeding two in number for each State, of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services such as each State may deem to be worthy of this national commemoration; and when so furnished the same shall be placed in the Old Hall of the House of Representatives, in the Capitol of the United States, which is set apart, or so much thereof as may be necessary, as a national statuary hall for the purpose herein indicated.

Originally, all state statues were placed in National Statuary Hall. However, the aesthetic appearance of the Hall began to suffer from overcrowding until, in 1933, the situation became unbearable. At that time the Hall held 65 statues, which stood, in some cases, three deep. More important, the structure of the chamber would not support the weight of any more statues. Therefore, in 1933 Congress passed a resolution that:

the Architect of the Capitol, upon the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library, with the advice of the Commission of Fine Arts, is hereby authorized and directed to relocate within the Capitol any of the statues already received and placed in Statuary Hall, and to provide for the reception and location of the statues received hereafter from the States.

Under authority of this resolution it was decided that only one statue from each state should be placed in Statuary Hall. The others would be given prominent locations in designated areas and corridors of the Capitol. A second rearrangement of the statues was made in 1976 by authorization of the Joint Committee on the Library. To improve the crowded appearance of the collection, thirty-eight statues were rearranged in Statuary Hall according to height and material. Statues representing ten of the thirteen original colonies were moved to the Central Hall of the East Front Extension on the first floor of the Capitol. The remainder of the statues were distributed throughout the Capitol, mainly in the Hall of Columns and the connecting corridors of the House and Senate wings. Legislation was introduced in 2005 that would authorize the collection to include one statue from each U.S. Territory, and another bill introduced in 2010 provides for participation by the District of Columbia. Neither passed.

Each statue is the gift of a state, not of an individual or group of citizens. Proceedings for the donation of a statue usually begin in the state legislature with the enactment of a resolution that names the citizen to be commemorated and cites his or her qualifications, specifies a committee or commission to represent the state in selecting the sculptor, and provides for a method of obtaining the necessary funds to carry the resolution into effect. In recent years, the statues have been unveiled during ceremonies in the Rotunda and displayed there for up to six months. They are then moved to a permanent location approved by the Joint Committee on the Library. An act of Congress (2 U.S.C. § 2132), enacted in 2000, permits states to provide replacements and repossess the earlier one.

A special act of Congress, Pub.L. 109–116, signed on December 1, 2005, directed the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain a statue of Rosa Parks and to place the statue in the United States Capitol in National Statuary Hall in a suitable permanent location. On February 27, 2013, Parks became the first African-American woman to have her likeness in the Hall.[1] Though located in Statuary Hall, Parks' statue is not part of the Collection; neither Alabama (her birth state) nor Michigan (where she lived most of her later years) commissioned it, and both states are represented in the Collection by other statues.

Demographics

Women

The collection currently includes representations of nine women:[2] Frances E. Willard, the first statue of a woman in the collection, was also sculpted by a woman, Helen Farnsworth Mears;[3] Helen Keller; Florence Sabin; Maria Sanford; Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to the House and, famously, the only Member of Congress to vote against U.S. entry into both World Wars; Sakakawea and Sarah Winnemucca, two of the six American Indians in the collection; Mother Joseph, a native of Canada; and Esther Hobart Morris. A statue of Mary McLeod Bethune has been authorized.[4][5]

Native American members

The vast majority of the collection is of White men, but it includes statues of Native Hawaiian Kamehameha I and of six Native Americans – Po'pay, Will Rogers, Sequoyah, Sakakawea, Washakie, and Sarah Winnemucca.

Members of Hispanic descent

Dennis Chávez (New Mexico), the first person of Hispanic descent to be elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate. Father Junípero Serra, born in Spain, was a Spanish-era founder of the California mission system.

African-American members

Until 2018, no state had designated an African American as one of its two statues; the sculpture of Martin Luther King Jr. and the statue of Rosa Parks are there by special acts of Congress, which commissioned each.[6][7]

In March 2018, the Governor of Florida signed legislation to replace the statue of Edmund Kirby Smith with one of African-American educator and Civil Rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune.[4]

Confederates

The collection contains several statues of leaders of the Confederate States of America. These include CSA President Jefferson Davis and Vice President Alexander Stephens and Confederate soldiers, most in Confederate Army uniforms: Generals Robert E. Lee, Joseph Wheeler, James Z. George, Wade Hampton III, and Edmund Kirby Smith, as well as Colonel Zebulon Baird Vance and former enlisted soldier John E. Kenna. The collection also includes a statue of Uriah M. Rose, who was the chancelor of Pulaski County, Arkansas while Arkansas was part of the Confederacy. Alabama replaced its statue of Confederate politician and army officer Jabez Curry in 2009. In 2018 the Florida legislature voted to replace Edmund Kirby Smith with African-American educator and Civil Rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune.[4]

Collection

State gifts

Other statues of people

Other statues under the control of the Architect of the Capitol[8]

HonoreeImageMediumSculptorDate placedLocationComment
Abraham LincolnMarbleVinnie Ream1871Rotunda
Alexander HamiltonMarbleHoratio Stone1868Rotunda
Martin Luther King Jr.BronzeJohn Woodrow Wilson1986Rotunda
Edward Dickinson BakerMarbleHoratio Stone1876Hall of Columns
Sojourner TruthBronzeArtis Lane2009Capitol Visitor Center
James MadisonMarbleWalker K. Hancock1976James Madison Memorial Building
Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. AnthonyMarbleAdelaide Johnson1920Rotunda
Thomas JeffersonBronzePierre-Jean David d’Angers1834Rotunda
Ulysses S. GrantMarbleFranklin Simmons1899Rotunda
Rosa ParksBronzeEugene Daub2013National Statuary Hall
Frederick DouglassBronzeSteven Weitzman2013Capitol Visitor Centerapproved by P.L. 112-179 in 2012 as a gift from the District of Columbia[9]

Allegorical or mythical sculptures

Sculpture under the control of the Architect of the Capitol

TitleImageMediumSculptorDate placedLocationComment
Car of HistoryMarbleCarlo Franzoni1819National Statuary Halldepicts Clio, the muse of history
Liberty and the EaglePlasterEnrico Causici1817–1819National Statuary Hall
Statue of FreedomBronzeThomas Crawford1863top of dome
The Progress of Civilization[10]MarbleThomas Crawford1863Pediment over Senate Portico, East Front
Apotheosis of Democracy[11]MarblePaul Wayland Bartlett1916Pediment, East FrontFigures of Peace protecting Genius surrounded by scenes depicting Industry and Agriculture
Genius of America (1)SandstoneLuigi Persico1825–1828East Central EntranceAmerica with Justice and Hope, duplicated and replaced by Genius of America (2)
Genius of America (2)MarbleBruno Mankowski1959–60East Central Entranceduplicate in marble of Genius of America (1)
Fame and Peace Crowning George Washington (1)SandstoneAntonio Capellano1827East central portico, above the Rotunda doorsduplicated and replaced by Fame and Peace ... (2)
Fame and Peace Crowning George Washington (2)MarbleG. Gianetti1959–60East central portico, above the Rotunda doorsduplicate in marble of Fame and Peace ... (1)
Justice and History[12]MarbleThomas Crawford1863East Front

Replacement of statues

A 2003 change in the law allows a state to remove a previously placed statue from the collection and replace it with another. Since then, seven states have replaced statues, with two of those states considering replacing a second statue.

Replacements

Replacement pending

  • Florida: On March 19, 2018, Governor Rick Scott signed legislation replacing its statue of Edmund Kirby Smith with one of the African-American civil rights activist and educator Mary McLeod Bethune.[24] The statue was to have been moved to the Lake County Historical Museum in Tavares, after residents of St. Augustine, his birthplace, expressed no interest.[25] However, at a County Commission meeting on July 24, 2018, about 24 residents spoke against, and none in favor, of bringing the statue to Lake County. Chairman Sullivan assured the crowd that the commission would tell the Historical Museum "that there is no longer a want or desire to bring this statue to Lake County".[26]
  • North Carolina: On October 2, 2015, North Carolina governor Pat McCrory signed a bill replacing the statue of Charles Aycock with one of Reverend Billy Graham.[27] However, the replacement was delayed because the statues must represent deceased individuals; Reverend Graham did not die until February 2018.[28]
  • Utah: On April 4, 2018, Governor Gary Herbert signed legislation replacing its statue of Philo Farnsworth with a statue of Martha Hughes Cannon, the first woman elected as a state senator in US history.[29]

Under consideration for replacement

References

  1. ↑ "Rosa Parks: First Statue of African-American Female to Grace Capitol". ABC News. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  2. ↑ Equal Visibility Everywhere blog post
  3. ↑ AOC page
  4. 1 2 3 Christine Sexton and Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida (March 21, 2018). "Florida to replace Confederate statue at US Capitol with civil-rights leader". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ Committee on Rules, Florida Senate (January 9, 2018). "Senate Bill 472 Analysis" (PDF). Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  6. ↑ Architect of the Capitol. "MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. BUST". Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  7. ↑ Architect of the Capitol. "ROSA PARKS". Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Other Statues". Architect of the Capitol, United States Capitol. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "Public Law 112-179" (PDF). United States Congress. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  10. ↑ Architect of the Capitol Under the Direction of the Joint Committee on the Library, Compilation of Works of Art and Other Objects in the United States Capitol, United States Government Printing Office, Washington 1965 p. 380
  11. ↑ Architect of the Capitol 1965, p. 379.
  12. ↑ Architect of the Capitol 1965, p. 366.
  13. ↑ Theobald, Bill (February 11, 2015). "Goldwater statue dedicated in National Statuary Hall". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ Cheevers, Jack (29 May 2009). "Thomas Starr King deserves better". Los Angeles Times. LATimes.com. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  15. ↑ Doering, Christopher (26 March 2014). "Norman Borlaug enters U.S. Capital's Statuary Hall". The Des Moines Register. desmoinesregister.com. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  16. ↑ Henderson, O. Kay (9 April 2013). "Harlan statue will move from U.S. Capitol to Mt. Pleasant". Iowa Public Radio. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  17. ↑ Holland, Judy (29 March 2008). "Capitol statues switched as subjects' fame fades". Star Tribune. Minneapolis: startribune.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  18. ↑ Simon, Richard (10 September 2011). "Zachariah who? States swap out statues in Capitol hall of fame". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  19. ↑ Camia, Catalina (3 May 2011). "Gerald Ford honored with statue in U.S. Capitol". USA Today. USAtoday.com. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  20. ↑ "Statue swap: Zachariah Chandler comes home to Michigan as Gerald R. Ford heads to U.S. Capitol". The Grand Rapids Press. Associated Press. 22 April 2011. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  21. ↑ "History". Ohio Statuary Hall Commission. Archived from the original on 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2014-06-05. In 2012, the 129th Ohio General Assembly and Governor Kasich formalized the public vote to replace Allen with Thomas Edison through passage of HB 487 (section 701.121).
  22. ↑ "Panel recommends Thomas Edison statue go in U.S. Capitol". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland: cleveland.com. Associated Press. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 2013-02-27.
  23. ↑ Wehrman, Jessica (September 21, 2016). "Thomas Edison statue dedicated in U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  24. ↑ Palm Beach Post, March 11, 2018, p. A12.
  25. ↑ Commentary: Statue of Confederate general is no 'piece of art,' has no place in Lake County museum Retrieved July 2, 2018
  26. ↑ McNiff, Tim (July 24, 2018). "Lake County Commission does about-face on confederate statue". Daily Commercial.
  27. ↑ "Governor McCrory Signs Bill Requesting Statue of Billy Graham be Placed in U.S. Capitol" (Press release). North Carolina Office of the Governor. 2015-10-07. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Procedure and Guidelines for Replacement of Statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection" (PDF). Architect of the Capitol. January 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  29. ↑ Weaver, Jennifer (April 4, 2018). "Statue of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon heads to U.S. Capitol". KUTV. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  30. ↑ McGreevy, Patrick (April 13, 2015). "State Senate calls for swapping Father Serra statue with one of Sally Ride". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
    Finley, Allysia (4 June 2014). "The Political Assault on California's Saint". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 5 June 2015. The state Assembly and Gov. Brown would still need to OK the statue swap, which doesn’t appear to be a legislative priority for either.
  31. ↑ Biles, Jan (12 March 2011). "Amelia's monument about to take flight". The Topeka Capital-Journal. cjonline.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2013-02-27.

Coordinates: 38°53′23″N 77°00′32″W / 38.88972°N 77.00889°W / 38.88972; -77.00889

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.