A Collective Study of Four of Buffalo, New York's Early Monuments, 1882-1907 Drew C
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State University of New York College at Buffalo - Buffalo State College Digital Commons at Buffalo State Museum Studies Theses History and Social Studies Education 8-2018 Public Art and Patronage: A Collective Study of Four of Buffalo, New York's Early Monuments, 1882-1907 Drew C. Boyle State University of New York College at Buffalo - Buffalo State College, [email protected] Advisor Cynthia A. Conides, Ph.D. First Reader Cynthia A. Conides, Ph.D. Second Reader Noelle J. Wiedemer Department Chair Andrew D. Nicholls, Ph.D. Professor and Chair To learn more about the History and Social Studies Education Department and its educational programs, research, and resources, go to http://history.buffalostate.edu/museum-studies-ma. Recommended Citation Boyle, Drew C., "Public Art and Patronage: A Collective Study of Four of Buffalo, New York's Early Monuments, 1882-1907" (2018). Museum Studies Theses. 15. http://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/museumstudies_theses/15 Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/museumstudies_theses Part of the American Art and Architecture Commons, Museum Studies Commons, and the United States History Commons i Public Art and Patronage: A Collective Study of Four of Buffalo, New York’s Early Monuments, 1882-1907 An Abstract of a Thesis in Museum Studies by Drew Boyle Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of: Master of Arts August 2018 State University of New York College at Buffalo Department of History and Social Studies Education ii Abstract The goal of this paper is to investigate the motivations of the patrons behind four of Buffalo, New York’s early monuments. These are the Soldiers and Sailors Monument (1882), the Lincoln, The Emancipator Monument (1902), the Red Jacket Monument (1890), and the McKinley Monument (1907). Each section contains historical context regarding the time period, critical events that influenced the monument, comparisons to similar monuments in the United States, and the narratives of the monument’s dedication and ceremonies. When grouped together, the historical context provided for each monument essentially plays into the motivations behind why each monument was erected. Lastly, the physical features described in each section demonstrates the ideas examined through the historical context of each section. In the past, Buffalo’s monuments have been individually studied. However, through this paper, the four monuments will be collectively studied and made relatable through what their patrons meant for them to symbolize. In doing so, this paper not only determines the motivations behind each monument, it also provides an insight to which groups of citizens controlled the commemoration of past events and historical figures in Buffalo between 1882 and 1907. iii State University of New York College at Buffalo Department of History and Social Studies Education Public Art and Patronage: A Collective Study of Four of Buffalo, New York’s Early Monuments, 1882-1907 A Thesis in Museum Studies by Drew Boyle Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts August 2018 Approved by: Cynthia A. Conides, Ph.D. Associate Professor, History & Social Studies Education, Director Museum Studies Thesis Advisor Andrew Nicholls, Ph.D. Professor and Chair History & Social Studies Education Kevin J. Miller, Ed. D. Dean of the Graduate School iv Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................. ii Table of contents ................................................................................... iv Chapter 1: Introduction to Paper ....................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................. 3 Chapter 3: Public Art in Buffalo, New York ..................................... 26 The Soldiers and Sailors Monument ............................................................. 26 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 26 Buffalo and the American Civil War ............................................................................ 29 Post-War Society in Buffalo ......................................................................................... 30 Sacrifice and the common soldier ............................................................................... 31 Reunification Efforts by the North ............................................................................... 36 Civil War Monument Efforts in Buffalo, New York .................................................... 39 The Physical Features of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument ..................................... 44 Discussion .................................................................................................................... 50 Lincoln, the Emancipator ......................................................................... 52 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 52 Abraham Lincoln and Buffalo ...................................................................................... 53 Lincoln’s Funeral ......................................................................................................... 55 Lincoln in Public art ..................................................................................................... 59 Monument to Lincoln Efforts in Buffalo, New York ................................................... 63 The Physical Features of the Lincoln, the Emancipator statue .................................... 67 Discussion ................................................................................................. 69 The Red Jacket Monument ............................................................................. 71 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 71 Red Jacket and the Seneca in Buffalo .......................................................................... 73 The Seneca after Red jacket’s death ............................................................................. 78 Native American’s in Public Art .................................................................................. 80 Th e Red Jacket Monument .......................................................................................... 86 The Physical Features of the Red Jacket Monument .................................................... 93 Discussion .................................................................................................................... 96 The McKinley Monument ............................................................................... 98 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 98 President William McKinley ........................................................................................ 100 v The Pan-American Exposition ..................................................................................... 100 Early Monument Efforts to William McKinley ............................................................ 103 The City Beautification Movement .............................................................................. 106 The McKinley Monument in Buffalo, New York ......................................................... 107 The Physical Features of the McKinley Monument ...................................................... 109 Discussion .................................................................................................................... 110 Chapter 4: Conclusion ......................................................................... 112 Bibliography .......................................................................................... 115 Appendix ............................................................................................... 120 1 Chapter 1 Introduction In an article from the Buffalo Courier- Express dated from December 22, 1946, the city of Buffalo, New York wondered why World War II soldiers were not being honored with any monuments.1 The answer to that question was simple as the author of the article stated, “being cast in bronze isn’t the honor it used to be.”2 Dr. Andrew C. Ritchie, head of the then Albright Art Gallery, went as far as to calling some of Buffalo’s monuments “downright hideous” and credited the “living memorial” such as a hospital or playground as being the more popular form of commemoration.3 Furthermore, critics of the time period even went as far as regarding Buffalo’s monuments as “mediocre.”4 However, the deeper meaning behind this article is in the opening sentence: “Buffalo’s history and spirit is reflected in its monuments.”5 As seen by this article, by the 1940s, pubic monuments had seemingly fallen out of favor in the City of Buffalo. However, a digression back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth reveals a strikingly different sentiment regarding the city of Buffalo and public monuments. As a form of public art, public monuments such as statues, sculptures, and architectural works became prominent in the period after the American Civil War. Monuments during this time period began with memorials to Civil War soldiers but eventually stemmed off to commemorate other heroic