friends OF SAINT-GAUDENS

CORNISH I NEW HAMPSHIRE I SPRING / SUMMER 2011

IN THIS ISSUE The Ames Monument I 1 The Puritan I 5 New Exhibition in The Little Studio I 6 David McCullough “The Great Journey...” I 6 Saint-Gaudens iPhone App I 8

DEAR FRIENDS, We want to announce an exciting new development for lovers (and soon-to-be lovers) of Saint-Gaudens! The park, with support from the Memorial, has devel- oped one of the first ever iPhone apps for a national park. This award-winning app provides users with a wealth of images and information on the works of Saint-Gaudens, audio tours of the museum buildings and grounds, information on contemporary exhibitions as well as other information Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Oliver and Monument, 1882. on artistic, architectural and natural resources that greatly enhance a visitor’s experience at the park. (See page 7 for AUGUSTUS SAINT-GAUDENS’ more information on the app). COLLABORATION WITH H.H. RICHARDSON: OLIVER AND OAKES AMES MONUMENT Another exciting educational project THE underway is a book about Saint-Gaudens’ In a broad expanse of southeastern lies a lonely monument, Puritan and Pilgrim statues. The book, an anomaly that arises from the desolate landscape. Measuring sixty feet generously underwritten by the Laurence square at its base and standing sixty feet high, the red granite pyramid Levine Charitable Fund, is due out in structure is known as the Oliver and Oakes Ames Monument, after the two June (see page 5 for more information), brothers to whom it is dedicated. and plans are in the making for a related event at the park this summer. Oakes Ames (1804-1873) and Oliver Union Pacific Railroad Company. Oliver Ames II (1807-1877) were the sons of Ames served as President of the Union These projects are an excellent example Oliver Ames, who had established a Pacific from 1866-71 and Oakes, who of how parks and all types of non-profit successful business as a shovel manu- played the primary role in guiding con- partners can work together to help bring facturer. The two brothers eventually struction of the monument, was elected Saint-Gaudens, contemporary artists and inherited the company from their father to five terms as a U.S. Congressman, the arts in general to a wider, more and, amid further settling of the midwest starting in 1862. The success of the appreciative audience. and the , made a Ames family, however, became overshad- Supporting organizations, like the family fortune. Their success eventually owed by the looming controversy associ- Memorial, along with Friends groups and culminated in the opportunity to work on ated with Oakes Ames, who had been outside foundation and corporate givers, the transcontinental railroad, which they accused of financial fraud in his business are attempting to help meet the changing saw to completion in 1869, through the dealings with Union Pacific. Quite possibly (‘Dear Friends’ continued back cover) (‘The Ames Monument’ continued on page 2) friends OF SAINT-GAUDENS

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he accepted the commission to do the Ames reliefs for the price of $400. each. This would pay for a two-and-a-half foot diameter plaster model of each medal- lion, the enlargement of both plaster models to their full size in clay, as well as the final reproductions in stone. Several letters between Richardson and Saint- Gaudens indicate that the sculptor did most of his work on the plaster reliefs from February through April 1881. During this time, Saint-Gaudens worked from photos of both Oliver and Oakes Ames loaned to him by the Ames family with the stipulation that he returned them in good condition upon completion of the reliefs. Saint-Gaudens initially struggled to work from these photos because Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Oakes Ames, relief on the East side of the monument. the images of the Ames brothers were, “all almost full face and the profiles will consequently be only approximately full.” as a maneuver to save face, the Union nor was it their first project related to the Saint-Gaudens also believed it would Pacific decided in 1875 to erect a monu- Ames family. Richardson had already be, “sweller” [sic], for the full-size stone ment dedicated to the Ames brothers. worked on the interior of Trinity Church reliefs to be cut from one massive stone Oakes had passed away in 1873 and in in a joint commission with rather than multiple smaller stones, Oliver would live only until 1877, well John LaFarge, who in turn invited Saint- but left it up to Richardson to decide. before the monument was completed. Gaudens to participate as an assistant. Ultimately, the reliefs would consist of Oliver Ames II’s son, Frederick Lothrop multiple stones and Saint-Gaudens orch- The commission was granted in 1879 Ames, had hired Richardson to design estrated where the joints would be placed. to Henry Hobson Richardson, one of several structures. Among them was the most renowned American architects the F.L. Ames Gate Lodge, located in of the time. In order to gauge his influence North Easton, , which on American architecture one can note Saint-Gaudens worked on as well, The town of Sherman was chosen Ames the results of a nationwide poll of archi- creating several decorative sculptures: as the site for the , as at tects in 1885: five of the 10 structures a zodiac-themed mantelpiece, a plaster the time it marked the highest point considered to be the best buildings in frog decoration, and a plaster dog on the Union Pacific Railroad. 1 America were designed by Richardson. decoration which is currently on loan at Richardson accepted the commission Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. and in 1880, hired a young, up-and-com- A newspaper article dated September 19, It was at roughly the same time that ing sculptor to work on reliefs depicting 1881, from the Boston Journal described Saint-Gaudens was commissioned by Oakes and Oliver Ames that would the process of the full-size, ten foot square the Union Pacific Railroad Company and garnish the monument itself. The sculptor reliefs being cut from stone: H.H. Richardson to do the portrait reliefs was 32-year-old Augustus Saint-Gaudens. of Oakes and Oliver Ames for the Ames Evans & Tomb’s workmen are rapidly com- This was not the first collaboration Monument. In a letter from Saint-Gaudens pleting the bas-relief portraits of Oliver and between Richardson and Saint-Gaudens, to Richardson dated September 3, 1880, Oakes Ames, by the sculptor St. Gaudens, friends OF SAINT-GAUDENS

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The relief of Oakes Ames is on the east side of the monument and the relief of Oliver Ames is on the west side of the monument, both portraits facing north.

for the Ames monument, to be erected on the Continental Divide at the highest point of the Union Pacific Railroad through the filial piety of the sons of the two brothers. The work is in progress alongside the Boston & Albany Railroad, in the immediate vicinity of the Dartmouth street bridge, and those who venture the scramble to the spot will be well repaid by a view of a work of art Oliver Ames, relief showing damage to the face from gunshots on the West side of the monument. characterized by the realistic vigor of the creator of the Farragut statue. The destination for Saint-Gaudens’ reliefs Sherman marked the highest point on There will be no public exhibition of the was a place called Sherman, Wyoming, the Union Pacific Railroad (8,247 feet), portraits, but in a few days they will be and it was here that the Ames Monument which is why it was chosen for the shipped to their destination.5 was being constructed. At the time, monument’s location. The granite was quarried locally from an outcropping only a half-mile away. The 85-man crew work- ing on the monument finished in 1882, with the cost of the construction totaling $64,773, roughly equivalent to $1.4 million today.6 The north side of the monument contains an inscription which states, “IN MEMORY OF OAKES AMES AND OLIVER AMES” while the south side is blank. The relief of Oakes Ames is on the east side, and he faces north. The relief of Oliver Ames is on the west side, and he faces north as well. The combination of architecture and artwork is awe-inspiring. At one point the ownership of the monu- ment was called into question. While the work was thoughtfully conceived, designed and constructed, no one had thought to check who owned the plot of The North side of the Ames Monument containing an inscription to Oakes and Oliver Ames. land the monument was built upon. (‘The Ames Monument’ continued on page 4) friends OF SAINT-GAUDENS

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tracks were moved away from Sherman. of . A few years ago it even Initially, some newspapers reported that appeared on television in an automobile the Ames Monument was to be relocat- commercial, though it was not identified. ed near the new line of track, however, Currently, some of the Ames Family and no action was taken. Matters were others are gathering resources to restore made worse when the tracks were relo- the monument and repair the damage cated for a second time, again in favor done to the reliefs. of a more efficient grade, pushing the railway a few miles away from Sherman and the Ames Monument. Without the Matthew Sisson, Student Conservation commerce provided by the railway, the Association Intern at the SGNHS (2010) settlement at Sherman, Wyoming, 1 ceased to exist by 1918. The granite, Brendan Gill, Books, “A Fast Full Life,” The New Yorker, February 9, 1998, p. 80 on the other hand, has stood the test The Ames Monument of Laramie, Wyoming 2 of time, despite the occasional target Frame 37, letter dated 9/3/1880 from a distance. 3 Frames 38-39, letter dated 4/30/1881 practice that the Saint-Gaudens portrait 4 Ibid reliefs were subjected to. Passing cow- When William Murphy from nearby 5 “Work on the Ames Monument” Laramie, Wyoming, decided to purchase boys were said to have taken potshots (News Article), Date: 1881-09-19; Paper: Boston Journal (Genealogy Bank) land for a new homestead in 1885, he at the portraits aiming at the noses. 6 Oschner, 212 acquired 160 acres of land in Sherman, The monument is not solid, but was and hired a surveyor to locate its exact built with an inner core in the center References boundaries based on the land office and a passageway around the interior • Dryfhout, John H., “The Works of Augustus descriptions. To his surprise, Murphy periphery, perhaps with some structural, Saint-Gaudens”. Hanover, NH: University Press discovered that his land contained the or maintenance purpose. Over the years, of New England, 1982, p. 109, 122-123. parcel where the Ames Monument stood. high school students found their way • Floyd, Margaret H., “Henry Hobson Richardson, A Genius for Architecture”. New Much to the dismay of the Union Pacific inside the monument, and it became York, NY: The Monacelli Press, 1997. Railroad, Murphy even threatened to a destination for short road trips. • Gill, Brendan, “A Fast Full Life,” The New cover the monument with advertisements The entrance has since been sealed. Yorker. February 9, 1998. thenewyorker.com and cash in on the negligence of the (accessed October 8, 2010). railroad. Fortunately for both parties, • Hitchcock, Henry-Russell, “The Architecture and the sake of the monument itself, The Ames Monument was of H.H. Richardson and His Times”. Cambridge, added to the National Register MA: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology the Union Pacific sent a claims agent Press, 1966, p. 177-241. to negotiate with Murphy who agreed to of Historic Places in 1972. • Ochsner, Jeffrey Karl, “H.H. Richardson, relinquish his claim on the land in return Complete Architectural Works”. Cambridge, MA: for three town lots elsewhere. Although The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, The Ames Monument was added to the monument itself was saved from 1982, p. 114-123, 183-187, 204-213. the National Register of Historic Places defacement, it would soon be abandoned • “Shifting With the Times”. Anaconda Standard. in 1972, and in 1983, the Union Pacific by the railroad which commissioned it. January 31, 1902. geneologybank.com (accessed donated it to the state of Wyoming, October 10, 2010). In 1902, taking advantage of technological which maintains it as a state historic • “The Papers of Augustus Saint-Gaudens advancements, the Union Pacific site. One can still visit the monument (Microfilm Edition)”. Dartmouth College Library, Railroad sought a more efficient route Hanover, NH: Xerox University Microfilms, 1974, today in its remote location approxi- Reel 12: Slides 1-52. through the Rocky Mountains, circum- mately 18 miles east of Laramie, • “Troubles of a Monument”. Kansas City Star. venting the peak at Sherman in order Wyoming. It is well marked and easily June 15, 1906. geneologybank.com to utilize a lesser grade. As a result, the accessible, just two miles from exit 329 (accessed October 10, 2010). friends OF SAINT-GAUDENS

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To the casual viewer The Puritan looks as if it were bronze but The original bronze Puritan is in fact plaster with a cleverly (Deacon Samuel Chapin), deceptive metallic finish. dedicated in 1887, is located in Springfield, MA. A later version, entitled The Pilgrim and essays by: Joyce Schiller, Curator, (1903-4) sits in Fairmount Park Norman Rockwell Museum (The Puritan), in Philadelphia. Henry J. Duffy (The Pilgrim), Thayer Tolles, On the 375th Anniversary Curator of American Paintings and of the City of Springfield, a new Sculpture, The Metropolitan Museum book with contributions by of Art (The Reductions), and Wayne leading Saint-Gaudens scholars Phaneuf, Editor of the “Springfield will bring the story of these two Republican” (What The Puritan Means iconic American sculptures to to Springfield – A Social History). life. Created by Augustus This will be the first complete study of Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), The Puritan and The Pilgrim ever published, The Puritan spoke to a family’s and will serve as both a fascinating story pride in a “worthy ancestor” and a needed academic study of an and became an emblem of the American icon. Augustus Saint-Gaudens in his studio with The Puritan, city of Springfield, and of the prior to the application of the metallic finish. stalwart pioneers who settled Western Massachusetts. UPCOMING The Pilgrim, created later for a committee COMMEMORATIVE of city leaders in Philadelphia, was seen BOOK ABOUT as a more general icon of the country’s moral and political strength. For the THE PURITAN artist, the work never left his studio, and demand was so great for it, that he When visitors enter the New devised reduced versions of The Puritan Gallery at the park they are in bronze for sale to schools, government often surprised to see a full-scale buildings and individuals. plaster of The Puritan at the The book, funded through a generous end of the room. grant by the Laurence Levine Charitable Fund, is to be published in June, 2011. It is a well-traveled piece, having left It will be extensively illustrated with both Saint-Gaudens’ studio for Philadelphia, black and white and color photographs. then Paris, and back to the United States, New photography of the two monuments finally returning to Cornish in 1949. has been commissioned for this book, and historic images will be included, It has a remarkable metallic finish that some never published before. makes the casual viewer think it is bronze, but this is a clever deception, Edited by Professor James Atkinson, used by the artist when the piece was the book is scheduled to include an exhibited outside at the Paris Éxposition Introduction by Henry J. Duffy, Curator of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, The Puritan, 1887. Universelle in 1900. the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, friends OF SAINT-GAUDENS

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THE GREATER JOURNEY: AMERICANS IN PARIS

David McCullough, one of America’s most honored and beloved historians, tells the enthralling, stirring—and until Saint-Gaudens’ workbench with his original brushes and tools, along with original plasters molds now, largely untold—story of the Sherman and Parnell Monuments are all on view in the new exhibition in the Little Studio. of three generations of talented young Americans, including “Not all pioneers went west,” David NEW EXHIBITION Augustus Saint-Gaudens, McCullough writes in The Greater Journey: OPENS AT THE Americans in Paris. “They spoke of it as PARK IN THE who traveled to Paris in the the dream of a lifetime, and for many, nineteenth century. for all the difficulties and setbacks LITTLE STUDIO encountered, it was to be one of the Visitors have indicated that they want best times ever.” more information about the methods McCullough’s masterpiece is crowned by which sculpture is created, and by the interwoven stories of two men this exhibit will show the complex and and a woman who through genius, time-consuming process of transforming persistence, and extraordinarily hard a clay model into plaster. work became three of the greatest Based in the Plaster Room at the back of American artists ever, and the first to the studio, visitors will see Saint-Gaudens’ be ranked on a par with their European workbench and sculpture stand, some peers: Mary Cassatt, John Singer of his tools, and molds. The process Sargent and Augustus Saint-Gaudens. will be represented from initial sketch, to David McCullough has twice won both first clay models, through to the plaster the Pulitzer Prize and the National ready for casting in bronze. Book Award. He has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and The park collection contains many articles Through vivid portraits of dozens Sciences and the American Academy from Saint-Gaudens’ studio that will be of significant characters, McCullough of Arts and Letters, and has received seen for the first time. The highlight will be chronicles the experiences, the struggles, numerous awards and more than forty models and casts of some of the artist’s and achievements of artists, writers, honorary degrees. most popular sculptures, such as the architects, doctors, educators, politicians, Sherman and Parnell Monuments. and inventors against the panoramic The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris backdrop of one of the world’s most by David McCullough is published by In addition, the park is creating a new enchanting cities at the height of its Simon & Schuster Trade. It will be avail- interpretive booklet that shows how the splendor and influence, and through able May 24, 2011 (Hardcover Price: traditional “lost-wax” casting process was some of the most dramatic episodes $37.50). For more information visit: used in Saint-Gaudens’ time, as well as of its history. www.DavidMcCullough.com. its vibrancy in today’s sculpture. friends OF SAINT-GAUDENS

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SUNDAY SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

ALL CONCERTS AT 2PM IN THE LITTLE STUDIO EXHIBITIONS IN THE JULY 3 PICTURE Andrew and Gail Jennings GALLERY VIOLIN AND PIANO

JULY 10 SAINT-GAUDENS MEMORIAL Rogers and Millican CORNISH, NH FLUTE, CELLO AND PIANO

Featuring works by JUNE 4 – JULY 4 the often overlooked Blew classical composer Some concert goers on the lawn beside the Little Studio enjoying Deb Todd Wheeler Johann Nepomuk Hummel a picnic while listening to the music. (1778-1837). Opening reception: June 4 at 4:30 to 6 p.m. JULY 31 AUGUST 21 Artist’s talk at 5 p.m. JULY 17 The 6th Annual New England ...... Heritage Brass Piano Quintet Rosamond Edmondson Ensemble Memorial Concert JULY 9 – AUGUST 28 Performing works by AUGUST 7 The Orliac Trio: Light Installations: 2002–present Holst, Vaughan Williams, Robert Osborne and Bizet. House Blend BASS-BARITONE Mary Temple 2010 Saint-Gaudens Fellow A local vocal ensemble Chester Brezniak JULY 24 performs a wide variety CLARINETIST Opening reception: of music. July 9 at 4:30 to 6 p.m. Three By Two Malcom Halliday Artist’s talk at 5 p.m. Wayne Hankin PIANIST AUGUST 14 PIPES & FLUTES Program includes works by ...... Jacqueline Schwab The Fischer Duo Schubert, Brahms, Gershwin, PIANO CELLO AND PIANO Duke Ellington and others. SEPTEMBER 3 – OCTOBER 24 Encoded Galen Cheney Opening reception: Sculptural Visions 2011 September 3 at 4:30 to 6 p.m. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 Artist’s talk at 5 p.m. SAVE 11AM – 4:30PM ...... Artist, Sculpture and Bronze THE Casting Demonstrations Skylark DATE! For more information call 603-675-2175 or visit: Outdoor Sculpture www.nps.gov/saga by David Henderson Saint-Gaudens NHS, Cornish, NH (2005, 20' x 6' x 10', fiberglass, steel, pigments) Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Saint-Gaudens Memorial

(‘Special Events...’ continued on back cover) friends OF SAINT-GAUDENS

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Visitors to the park can use the app to Become a friend access historical and contextual information about Saint-Gaudens’ life and works, OF SAINT-GAUDENS and to experience virtual tours of the grounds, buildings, works of art and All members receive a twice-yearly special exhibitions. The app provides newsletter and announcements of exhibits, images, text and, in some cases, audio. lectures, concerts & other programs. For those unable to visit the park, the Individual $50 app provides a window into the rich Family $75 legacy of Saint-Gaudens and the variety SAINT-GAUDENS of resources available at the park. Supporter $100 iPHONE APP An introduction to the app is available at Sponsor $25 the developer’s mini-site: Bronze Patron $500 The Saint-Gaudens http://www.jbk2.com/Saint-Gaudens. Gilded Benefactor $1,000 National Historic Site iPhone app, I would like a FREE annual park pass constructed by (‘Dear Friends’ cont. from Front Cover) to the Saint-Gaudens Site. ($25 value. software developer JBK2, needs of our parks and the public they This part of your membership fee is not serve with a renewed focus on education tax deductible.) is the winner of the National and interpretation. The recently published CHECK VISA MASTERCARD Park Service Northeast “2010 Friends of the National Parks” report notes that many supporting groups have CARD # Region’s Interpretive Media shifted their focus to this area: fourteen EXP DATE Innovation Award. years ago education/interpretation was

SIGNATURE The app is available now to purchase listed as sixth in importance; now it is most and download to your iPhone, iPad or often cited as their number one priority. NAME iPod from the Apple iTunes App Store. ADDRESS Alternatively, a pre-loaded devise can Byron Bell Rick Kendall PRESIDENT SUPERINTENDENT be rented at the park's Visitor Center Saint-Gaudens Saint-Gaudens to use on site. Memorial National Historic Site

PHONE The Saint-Gaudens Memorial is a private, non-profit corporation I do not wish to join at this time chartered to advise and support the National Historic Site but would like to make a contribution. and sponsor programs and activities that promote public awareness of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, his work and sculpture in general. Please send me more information Gifts are tax-deductible Please make checks payable to: Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site THE SAINT-GAUDENS MEMORIAL The site is administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service Mail Membership forms and checks to: Saint-Gaudens Memorial 139 Saint-Gaudens Road, Cornish, NH 03745 34 South Highland Avenue 603- 675-2175 phone | 603- 675-2701 fax Ossining, NY 10562 www.nps.gov/saga 914-944-1608 www.sgnhs.org Newsletter Design: Gina Stone