Sherman Statue in Grand Army Plaza unveiled

cw1865

Sergeant Major
Joined
Jun 12, 2007
Location
Riverdale, NJ (Morris County)
The Sherman statute in Grand Army Plaza (near Central Park) on the corner of 59th and 5th was unveiled. a gilt equestrian complete with a Victory statue, this memorial to Sherman is no joke. It did however become a joke with the pidgeons who would perch on it all day slowly befouling the statue. The statue was cleaned and unveiled complete with pidgeon spikes. Overall it looks stunning.

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I rather thought you'd like the pigeons.

FWIW, I like that equestrian statue of Forrest in Memphis, too, and no one would ever consider me a fan of his.
 
That's a very nice statue! My only question is, why did they do an elderly Sherman? That's how he looked in his late 60s!

Well, there's actually an explanation of sorts for this. When Sherman passed, NYC decided to commission the sculpture, they selected Augustus Saint-Gaudens who had a head start of sorts because he had done a bust of Sherman in 1888....
 
Well, there's actually an explanation of sorts for this. When Sherman passed, NYC decided to commission the sculpture, they selected Augustus Saint-Gaudens who had a head start of sorts because he had done a bust of Sherman in 1888....

Oh, thanks! Then Sherman actually sat for him? In his retirement he became something of a patron of the arts - very much enjoyed theater, too.
 
I've done the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade a dozen or more times since 1990, re-enacting the 69th NY in the parade. Each year when we pass that statue of Uncle Billy, we pay it homage by doing the Marching Salute ( that means marching at the shoulder arms position ). Further on is another statue of some WWI doughboys ,we do the same for. :smile:
 
Oh, thanks! Then Sherman actually sat for him? In his retirement he became something of a patron of the arts - very much enjoyed theater, too.
"The sculptor had a head start on the project, having created a bust of Sherman in 1888. The elderly Sherman posed at his New York residence for the artist for 18 two-hour sittings. Saint-Gaudens’s admiration for the general only grew stronger after listening to his many stories; his appreciation for Sherman is evident in the monument’s elegant and dignified portrayal of the war hero." http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/M062/monuments/1442
 
We note that Saint-Gaudens was an Irish-born immigrant. His 54th Mass./Robert Gould Shaw memorial in Boston is his most famous.

Sherman was rather out of step with his fellows - he sponsored the first woman, Vinnie Ream, to be commissioned by Congress to do a sculpture. It was the statue of Lincoln that's in the Capitol now.

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The CongressMEN were very dubious about this but Sherman used all his influence to get her the contract.
 
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