Pulitzer Fountain: Difference between revisions
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==Initial design and construction== |
==Initial design and construction== |
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In December 1912, the executors of the estate of Joseph Pulitzer (who had left $50,000 in his will for construction of the fountain) announced that New York City had approved its proposed location, in the plaza between 58th Street and 60th Street, just east of Fifth Avenue, the same plaza where the equestrian [[William Tecumseh Sherman (Saint-Gaudens)|Sherman]] Monument had stood since 1903. The executors invited five architecture firms to participate in a competition to determine the fountain's design, and to provide designs for a "good architectural treatment of the whole plaza." <ref>''The New York Times'', December 22, 1912.</ref> In January 1913, the five schemes were exhibited at the New York Public Library, including the winning scheme, designed by [[Carrère and Hastings]]. Architect Thomas Hasting's design placed the fountain in the southern half of the plaza, whereas the [[William Tecumseh Sherman (Saint-Gaudens)|Sherman]] Monument remained in the northern half (but moved fifteen feet west to be symmetrically opposite the fountain). Hasting's design for the fountain included a "symbolical figure-the exact symbolism not yet having been decided upon."<ref>''The New York Times'', January 21, 1913.</ref> |
In December 1912, the executors of the estate of Joseph Pulitzer (who had left $50,000 in his will for construction of the fountain) announced that New York City had approved its proposed location, in the plaza between 58th Street and 60th Street, just east of Fifth Avenue, the same plaza where the equestrian [[William Tecumseh Sherman (Saint-Gaudens)|Sherman]] Monument had stood since 1903. The executors invited five architecture firms to participate in a competition to determine the fountain's design, and to provide designs for a "good architectural treatment of the whole plaza." <ref>''The New York Times'', December 22, 1912.</ref> In January 1913, the five schemes were exhibited at the New York Public Library, including the winning scheme, designed by [[Carrère and Hastings]]. Architect Thomas Hasting's design placed the fountain in the southern half of the plaza, whereas the [[William Tecumseh Sherman (Saint-Gaudens)|Sherman]] Monument remained in the northern half (but moved fifteen feet west to be symmetrically opposite the fountain). Hasting's design for the fountain included a "symbolical figure-the exact symbolism not yet having been decided upon."<ref>''The New York Times'', January 21, 1913.</ref> Construction began in 1915, and by November one newspaper reported: "The Pulitzer Fountain...is now finished and bubbling with the purest Croton water," noting that work on the northern portion of the plaza was delayed by subway construction.<ref>''Chicago Daily Tribune'', November 7, 1915.</ref> |
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In the executed design, Karl Bitter's allegorical [[Bronze sculpture|bronze]] statue '''''Pomona,''''' depicts the [[Pomona (mythology)|goddess of abundance]] holding a basket of fruit. The model was [[Doris Doscher]]. Because Bitter died on April 9, 1915, having just completed the plaster cast of the figure,<ref>Ferdinand Schevill, ''Karl Bitter, a Biography'' (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1917), pages 65-67</ref> Architect Thomas Hastings and Bitter's widow selected [[Isidore Konti]] to complete the statue.<ref>''The Sculpture of Isidore Konti, 1862-1938'' (Yonkers, NY: Hudson River Museum, 1974), pages 63-64.</ref> Konti began work in the fall of 1915, and the statue was cast in April 1916.<ref>''The Sculpture of Isidore Konti, 1862-1938'' (Yonkers, NY: Hudson River Museum, 1974), pages 63-64.</ref>The statue was installed on (or about) May 1, 1916, "with little or no ceremony."<ref>''Philadelphia Inquirer'', August 13, 1916, page 23.</ref> |
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In the executed design, Karl Bitter's allegorical [[Bronze sculpture|bronze]] statue '''''Pomona,''''' depicts the [[Pomona (mythology)|goddess of abundance]] holding a basket of fruit. The model was [[Doris Doscher]]. Bitter died on April 9, 1915, having just completed the plaster cast of the figure.<ref>Ferdinand Schevill, ''Karl Bitter, a Biography'' (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1917), pages 65-67</ref> The statue was completed by his by his friend [[Isidore Konti]], selected by Hastings, and Bitter's widow.<ref>The Sculpture of Isidore Konti, 1862-1938 (Yonkers, NY: Hudson River Museum, 1974), pages 63-64.</ref> |
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==1936 restoration== |
==1936 restoration== |
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Revision as of 22:40, 18 March 2017
| Pulitzer Fountain | |
|---|---|
_-_2.JPG) The fountain and sculpture in 2014 | |
  Pulitzer Fountain Location in New York City | |
| Artist | Karl Bitter, Thomas Hastings |
| Year | 1916 |
| Type |
|
| Medium |
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| Subject | Pomona |
| Dimensions | 6.7 m (22 ft) |
| Location | New York City, New York, United States |
| 40°45′51″N 73°58′25″W / 40.76403°N 73.97361°W | |
Pulitzer Fountain is an outdoor fountain located in Manhattan's Grand Army Plaza in New York. The fountain is named after newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer who died in 1911 having bequeathed $50,000 for the creation of the fountain, intending it to complement the nearby William Tecumseh Sherman monument. The fountain was designed by the architect Thomas Hastings, and crowned by a statue conceived by the sculptor Karl Bitter. [1] The fountain was dedicated in May 1916.
Initial design and construction
In December 1912, the executors of the estate of Joseph Pulitzer (who had left $50,000 in his will for construction of the fountain) announced that New York City had approved its proposed location, in the plaza between 58th Street and 60th Street, just east of Fifth Avenue, the same plaza where the equestrian Sherman Monument had stood since 1903. The executors invited five architecture firms to participate in a competition to determine the fountain's design, and to provide designs for a "good architectural treatment of the whole plaza." [2] In January 1913, the five schemes were exhibited at the New York Public Library, including the winning scheme, designed by Carrère and Hastings. Architect Thomas Hasting's design placed the fountain in the southern half of the plaza, whereas the Sherman Monument remained in the northern half (but moved fifteen feet west to be symmetrically opposite the fountain). Hasting's design for the fountain included a "symbolical figure-the exact symbolism not yet having been decided upon."[3] Construction began in 1915, and by November one newspaper reported: "The Pulitzer Fountain...is now finished and bubbling with the purest Croton water," noting that work on the northern portion of the plaza was delayed by subway construction.[4]
In the executed design, Karl Bitter's allegorical bronze statue Pomona, depicts the goddess of abundance holding a basket of fruit. The model was Doris Doscher. Because Bitter died on April 9, 1915, having just completed the plaster cast of the figure,[5] Architect Thomas Hastings and Bitter's widow selected Isidore Konti to complete the statue.[6] Konti began work in the fall of 1915, and the statue was cast in April 1916.[7]The statue was installed on (or about) May 1, 1916, "with little or no ceremony."[8]
1936 restoration
Funds to restore the fountain were provided in 1936 by the prominent architect and historic preservationist Dan Everett Waid.[9]
References
- ^ Ferdinand Schevill, Karl Bitter, a Biography (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1917), pages 65-67.
- ^ The New York Times, December 22, 1912.
- ^ The New York Times, January 21, 1913.
- ^ Chicago Daily Tribune, November 7, 1915.
- ^ Ferdinand Schevill, Karl Bitter, a Biography (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1917), pages 65-67
- ^ The Sculpture of Isidore Konti, 1862-1938 (Yonkers, NY: Hudson River Museum, 1974), pages 63-64.
- ^ The Sculpture of Isidore Konti, 1862-1938 (Yonkers, NY: Hudson River Museum, 1974), pages 63-64.
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer, August 13, 1916, page 23.
- ^ "Grand Army Plaza Monuments - Pulitzer Fountain : NYC Parks". New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. www.nycgovparks.org. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
External links
Media related to Pulitzer Fountain at Wikimedia Commons
