BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Major General George Henry Thomas (Thomas Circle) Statue

DC -- Major General George Henry Thomas (Thomas Circle) Statue:

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[1] TSTAT_160526_02_STITCH.JPG

[2] TSTAT_160526_03.JPG	[3] TSTAT_160526_09.JPG	[4] TSTAT_160526_13.JPG
[5] TSTAT_160526_19.JPG	[6] TSTAT_160526_22.JPG	[7] TSTAT_160526_25.JPG
[8] TSTAT_160526_28.JPG	[9] TSTAT_160526_31.JPG	[10] TSTAT_160526_34.JPG
[11] TSTAT_160526_44.JPG	[12] TSTAT_160526_48.JPG

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. TSTAT_160526_13.JPG: Bureau Bros & Heaton Founders. Phila.
2. TSTAT_160526_22.JPG: Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas San Francisco, Cal. March 28, 1870
3. TSTAT_160526_25.JPG: There apparently used to be a pyramid of cannon balls here
4. TSTAT_160526_28.JPG: Erected by his comrades of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland
5. TSTAT_160526_31.JPG: Missing a star
6. TSTAT_160526_34.JPG: J.Q.A. Ward. Sculp. 1879 John Quincy Adams Ward From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Quincy Adams Ward (June 29, 1830 – May 1, 1910) was an American sculptor, who may be most familiar for his larger than lifesize standing statue of George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall National Memorial in New York. Early years He was born in Urbana, Ohio, a city founded by his grandfather Colonel William Ward. He lived with his sister in Brooklyn, New York, where he trained under the well-established sculptor Henry Kirke Brown, who carved "J.Q.A. Ward, asst." on his equestrian monument of George Washington in Union Square. His younger brother was the artist Edgar Melville Ward. Ward went to Washington in 1857, where he made a name for himself with portrait busts of men in public life. In 1861 he worked for the Ames Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Massachusetts, providing models for decorative objects including gilt-bronze sword hilts for the Union Army. Ames was one of the largest brass, bronze and iron foundries in the United States. Ward set up a studio in New York City in 1861 and was elected to the National Academy of Design the following year; he was their president till 1874. In 1882 a new New York studio on 52nd Street was designed for him by his friend Richard Morris Hunt, who was to collaborate with him on many projects over the years. Ward was married three times. Career Nineteenth-century American commissions for sculpture were largely confined to portrait busts and monuments, where Ward was preeminent in his generation. Sculptors also made a living selling bronze reductions of their public works; Ward made use of new galvanoplastic duplicating techniques; many of Ward's reductions and galvanoplastic and die-stamped relief panels survive. In 1903, with the collaboration of Paul Wayland Bartlett, he made the models for the marble pediment sculptures for the New York Stock Exchange. The pediment was carved by the Piccirilli Brothers. Ward was a founder and president of the National Sculpture Society (1893–1904) and president of the National Academy of Design (1874). He was one of the first trustees in 1897 for the American Academy in Rome. He died at his home in New York City in 1910. A copy of his Indian Hunter stands at his gravesite in Urbana, and his Urbana home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. His sketchbooks are conserved at the Albany Institute of History & Art. Public sculpture 1866 Indian Hunter, in Central Park, Manhattan, New York City 1867 The Good Samaritan Ether Monument, Boston Public Garden, Boston, Massachusetts 1868 "Matthew Perry Monument", Touro Park, Newport, Rhode Island 1869 "Seventh Regiment Memorial", Central Park, New York City. The bronze of a standing Union soldier is set on a high granite pedestal along the West Carriage Drive at 69th Street. Actor and dramatist Steele MacKaye, who served in the 7th Regiment, was its model. 1871 Major General John F. Reynolds Statue, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 1872 William Shakespeare, Central Park, New York City 1878 William Gilmore Simms, White Point Garden, Charleston, South Carolina 1879 Major General George Henry Thomas, Thomas Circle, Washington, D.C. 1881 "Victory" (statue), Yorktown Victory Monument, Yorktown, Virginia 1881 General Daniel Morgan Monument, Spartanburg, South Carolina 1882 George Washington, Federal Hall National Memorial, New York City 1883 Lafayette, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 1884 "The Pilgrim" (statue), Central Park, New York City 1887 James A. Garfield Monument, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. 1891 Henry Ward Beecher Monument, Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn, New York 1893 Governor Horace Fairbanks, St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, St. Johnsbury, Vermont 1898 Equestrian statue of General Winfield S. Hancock, Smith Memorial Arch, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1903 Integrity Protecting the Works of Man, pediment of the New York Stock Exchange Building, Manhattan, New York City 1910 Financier August Belmont, Newport, Rhode Island 1916 General Phillip H. Sheridan Statue, East Capitol Park, Albany, New York (installed posthumously)
Wikipedia Description: Major General George Henry Thomas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Major General George Henry Thomas, also known as the Thomas Circle Monument, is an equestrian sculpture in Washington, D.C. that honors Civil War general George Henry Thomas. The monument is located in the center of Thomas Circle, on the border of the downtown and Logan Circle neighborhoods. It was sculpted by John Quincy Adams Ward, best known for his work on the George Washington statue. Attendees at the dedication in 1879 included President Rutherford B. Hayes, Generals Irvin McDowell, Philip Sheridan, and William Tecumseh Sherman, senators and thousands of soldiers.

The sculpture is one of eighteen Civil War monuments in Washington, D.C., which were collectively listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is considered by art critics and historians to be one of the best equestrian statues in the city. The statue, which rests on an oval pedestal, and the surrounding park are owned and maintained by the National Park Service, a federal agency of the Interior Department.

History

Background

George Henry Thomas was a Union general in the Civil War and a principal commander in the Western Theater. During the Battle of Chickamauga, he was responsible for saving the Union Army from being completely routed, earning him the nickname "Rock of Chickamauga". The Society of the Army of the Cumberland, composed of veterans, chose to erect a monument to Thomas utilizing bronze cannons captured from Confederate forces. John Quincy Adams Ward was selected to sculpt the statue and began the process in 1875. The sculpture, which cost $40,000, was paid for by the Society. On July 31, 1876, Congress appropriated $25,000 to pay for the pedestal and base, although the final cost was only $20,000. The contract for the statue stated three of the horse's feet had to be touching the ground. This was to make sure it wouldn't receive the same type of criticism Andrew Jackson's sculpture in Lafayette Square received and to avoid the "stagey, theatrical animal that poses and postures in so many of the public squares of the United States." Thomas's widow, Frances, gave Ward photographs of her husband and lent him Thomas' uniform and saddle to help with the design. After he finished the plaster model in 1879, Ward invited Thomas' family, Society officers, and members of the press to his studio in New York to view the model. The reaction was very positive. The Society was so impressed with Ward's work, they later selected him to design the James A. Garfield Monument and the Philip Sheridan sculpture as well, though the contract for the latter was eventually cancelled. Architects John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz, best known for designing the Thomas Jefferson Building and Healy Hall, were selected to design the monument base. The Bureau Brothers Foundry cast the sculpture while stonework was provided by contractor M. K. Chase. The traffic circle where the monument was erected was previously known as Memorial Circle because nearby residents planted memorial trees in honor of their respective home states. The name was changed to Thomas Circle when the monument was installed.

Dedication

The memorial was dedicated on November 19, 1879, with an estimated 50,000 people in attendance. Harper's Weekly described the event as the grandest ceremony ever held in the city The ceremony featured a two-mile 2 miles (3.2 km) military procession, led by General Thomas Turpin Crittenden, of around 500 Army of the Cumberland veterans, 1,000 army troops, 1,000 marines and sailors, state troops from Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania, and generals Irvin McDowell, Philip Sheridan, and William Tecumseh Sherman. Music in the procession was performed by seven military bands, with the United States Marine Band in the first position. The procession began east of the U.S. Capitol and marched past President Rutherford B. Hayes at the White House on its way toward the memorial site. Most of the buildings along the line of march, including nearly every building on Pennsylvania Avenue, were decorated with flags, streamers, and other decorations. The most elaborately decorated building along the line of march was the Quartermaster General's office, located on the corner of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, which was decorated with numerous flags and a canvas bearing a portrait of Thomas. The circle and the homes surrounding it were extensively decorated. There were 38 poles, each 33 feet (10 m) high, placed around the edge of the circle, with the flag of every U.S. state at the time. A temporary platform seating 1,500 people was erected around part of the circle for special guests and dignitaries.

The ceremony began with a prayer followed by the songs "Hail to the Chief" and "The Star-Spangled Banner". The statue was then unveiled accompanied by a thirteen gun salute. After the unveiling, a chorus of 100 men sang hymns with music performed by the Marine Band. General Anson G. McCook, a member of the Fighting McCooks who served under Thomas, delivered the dedication speech. Senator Stanley Matthews also gave a speech which included the presentation of the statue as an offering to the country. The statue was accepted by President Hayes on behalf of the American people. Hayes stated: "In the name of the people of the United States I accept this noble statue, so worthy of its subject, erected in honor of Gen. George H. Thomas by his comrades of the illustrious Army of the Cumberland." The monument was the sixth equestrian sculpture erected in Washington, D.C.

Influence and historic designation

Art critics, historians, and Civil War monument researchers Kirk Savage and Kathryn Allamong Jacob consider the Thomas monument one of the best equestrian statues in Washington, D.C. According to Savage, it "enhanced the circle's prestige by giving it a commemorative identity in this rapidly emerging landscape" and "served at once as a national monument honoring a war hero and a real estate amenity for an affluent urban setting." It increased development at Thomas Circle and the surrounding area, although none of the stately homes around the circle are still standing. Along with seventeen other Civil War monuments, Major General George Henry Thomas was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1978, and the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites on March 3, 1979. The sculpture and the surrounding park are owned and maintained by the National Park Service, a federal agency of the Interior Department.

Design and location

The monument is located in the center of Thomas Circle, at the intersection of 14th Street, M Street, Massachusetts Avenue and Vermont Avenue NW. Following a reconstruction of Thomas Circle completed in 2006, new sidewalks and landscaping allowed visitors easier access to the monument and surrounding park. The monument is approximately 32 feet (9.8 m) high while the statue itself is around 16 feet (4.9 m) high. The bronze figures of Thomas and the horse are around twice life-size. Thomas is depicted surveying a battlefield while at the top of a hill. He is holding the reins of the horse with his left hand and his right hand is holding his hat and gloves. Thomas is wearing a double-breasted military coat and plain riding boots, while his sword hangs from his left side. The horse looks straight ahead as its mane and tail are blown by the wind. Its "dilated nostrils, erect ears, tense muscles, and waving, bushy tail" demonstrate the horse's excitement. The horse was originally designed to be a mare. After it was pointed out that Thomas only rode stallions, additions were made to the sculpture, though the slender head and neck are still reminiscent of a mare.

The statue stands on an oval granite pedestal featuring two Baroque scrolls on each end. A bronze badge of the Army of the Cumberland, which Thomas had commanded, and a laurel wreath is also on each side of the pedestal. The circular granite base features four steps and four blocks protruding from the pedestal to the lowest step. Decorative gas lamps previously stood on the base's four blocks, but these were removed sometime around 1922.

Inscriptions on the monument include the following:

(pedestal east side) ERECTED BY HIS COMRADES / OF THE SOCIETY OF / THE ARMY OF THE CUMBERLAND
(pedestal, west side) MAJ. GEN. GEORGE H. THOMAS / SAN FRANCISCO CAL. / MARCH 28, 1870
(bottom of sculpture, east side) J. Q. A. WARD SCULP 1879
(bottom of sculpture, west side) BUREAU BROS & HEATON / FOUNDERS. PHIL
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