SAVE OUR CITY SYMBOL Activities for Students of All Ages

BIRMINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Introduction Recent Support for the Restoration of Vulcan & His Park A Vision for Vulcan Important Principles for Vulcan Park

Activities 1. The Resume of a Man of Iron 14. Triumph at the Fair 2. Birmingham at the Turn 15. Vital Stats of the 20th Century 16. The Red Mountain Revival 3. The Big Idea 17. National Park Service Documentation 4. The Art Scene 18. Restoring the Statue 5. Time Line 19. A Vision for Vulcan 6. Colossi of the Ancient World 20. American Landmarks 7. Map of the Ancient World 21. Tallest American Monument 8. Vulcan's Family 22. Vulcan's Global Family 9. Moretti to the Rescue 23. Quiz 10. Recipe for Sloss No. 2 Pig Iron 24. Word Search 11. The Foundrymen's Challenge 25. Questions 12. Casting the Colossus 26. Glossary 13. Meet Me in St. Louis

Teacher Materials A. Overview Insert: Picture Page, B. Activity Ideas The Birmingham News-Age Herald, Sunday, C. Questions & Answers October 31, 1937 D. Quiz & Answers E. Word Search Key F Map of the Ancient World Key

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This publication was made possible by many individuals and institutions: Birmingham Historical Society's Vulcan and His Times by Philip A. Morris, author; Marjorie L. White, editor, served as cornerstone for this volume. Marjorie L. White, editor Beverly Miller, Advent Day School teacher, her students and Abbey Miller, activity planning Martha Boyer, Jefferson County Schools, lesson planning Carolanne Roberts, Resume of an Iron Man John Schnorrenberg, research on colossi Karyn Emison, researcher, lesson planning Scott Fuller, illustrator and graphic designer Proofreaders: Cathy Adams, Lee Brewer, Ashani Morgan, Rhonda Dowling, Karyn Emison, Hugh Rushing, Joe Strickland Vive Vulcan Committee, review, comment and distribution: Lillie S.M. Fincher, Chairman; Robbie Weeks, Annette Lanier, Bessemer Schools; Dr. Waymon Shiver, Sadie Denson, Otis Dismukes, Birmingham School System; Mike Hathorne, Regina Thompson, Homewood Schools; Jo Wiseman, Hoover Schools; Martha Boyer, Dr. Gloria Denard, Jefferson County Schools; Lisa Beckham, Linda Church, Paulette Williams, Shelby County; Dr. Fred Perkins, Tarrant; Carol Slaughter, Abby Miller, Beverly Miller, Karyn Emison, Marjorie White, Birmingham Historical Society. The Lesson Plan was developed in conjunction with the Jefferson County 4-MAT Teacher Lesson Planning Workshop, coordinated by Martha Boyer.

Original Limited Edition, 1999 Birmingham Historical Society

Birmingham Historical Society is a private non-profit corporation. The mission of the Society is to contribute to the quality of life in Birmingham by preserving, learning from and celebrating its past while helping to shape its future.

For information on membership or to purchase copies of VULCAN & HIS TIMES and other Society publications, please contact the Society's offices at Duncan House located on the grounds of Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. Birmingham Historical Society, One Sloss Quarters, Birmingham, Alabama, 35222, Telephone: 205-251-1880

On the cover: VULCAN AT THE FAIR. Missouri Historical Society 1035; photographer: Dept. Of Mines & Metallurgy, 1904, St. Louis, Missouri. Cast of iron in Birmingham, Vulcan served as the Birmingham and Alabama exhibit for the St. Louis World's Fair. As god of the forge, he holds a spearpoint he has just made on his anvil. The spearpoint is of polished steel. In a gesture of triumph, the colossal smith extends his arm upward. About his feet, piles of mineral resources extol Alabama's mineral wealth and its capability of making colossal quantities of iron, such as that showcased in the statue, and of steel (as demonstrated with the spearpoint). Vulcan represents the materialistic qualities of mankind, the head of Christ cast in white Alabama marble and placed in front of the statue represents man's spiritual nature. Sculptor Giuseppi Moretti supervised this installation, smoothing rough castings and finishing the statue to a rich patina. (The statue should be restored to this 1904 condition.)

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! INTRODUCTION

This special edition of Vive Vulcan is prepared for Also in 1938, Henley's Birmingham Publishing members of the Birmingham Historical Society as an Company printed, with underwriting from the artifact of the Society's efforts over many years to pre­ Birmingham Kiwanis Club, the pamphlet Birmingham's serve and to restore Vulcan, the great symbol of Vulcan. Henley is probably the author of this pictorial Birmingham, and to elevate the statue and the sur­ essay released at the time of completion of Vulcan rounding park as a focus for teaching visitors, residents Park. The prose of Birmingham's Vulcan is optimistic in and school children about the history of Birmingham. the manner of all of Henley's writings, and the publi­ The Society's Vulcan project is connected to several cation puts Vulcan in the same rank as other national important themes running through all of the Society's landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty and the work for the last two decades: Washington Monument. (A reprint of Birmingham's Vulcan is included in this volume.) In 1940, Henley • preservation of historic structures for the published This is Birmingham, a collection of opti­ enrichment and interest of the community mistic reflections on the founding and growth of and the enhanced viability of the greater Birmingham, seen as a major Southern city by a grand­ Birmingham area as a place to live and work; son of families that were prominent risk takers in the • fostering a better understanding of all aspects city's earliest commercial enterprises. of Birmingham history as a source of pride in our accomplishments and inspiration for our Vive Vulcan consists for the most part of a collec­ future endeavors; and tion of materials assembled by the Society in con­ junction with Birmingham area teachers for use in • education of tourists who come to see us Birmingham area schools. Society volunteers are vis­ (spending dollars in our economy as they do iting schools this fall in the company of Auburn so), education of residents who want to architecture students to teach topics relating to understand their surroundings in the context Vulcan and its history from the materials assembled of history, and education, especially, of school in Vive Vulcan. children who gain from understanding what is noteworthy and important about their city. The Society has also been busy beating the pub­ licity drums for Vulcan and expressing a vision of The title, Vive Vulcan, has at least two meanings. what Vulcan can mean for our area and how the First, we want to acknowledge the fact that Vulcan is restoration of Vulcan and the operation of Vulcan being given new life, after being much abused for many Park should be carried out. A chronology of our years. Second, we want to celebrate Vulcan as an impor­ activities follows this introduction. Most of the mate­ tant icon in our community: we hope to treat him "roy­ rials are intended for elementary school classes, ally" and have him around for many centuries. although we are publishing them for our members Members of the Society should know that the because they are of potential interest to all of us. Society's interest in Vulcan pre-dates most of the cur­ However, the statements of a Vision for Vulcan and rent membership and leadership. The Birmingham Important Principles for Vulcan, which follow the Historical Society was established in 1942 with John chronology, should perhaps be taught in high school C. Henley as its first President. Henley died in 1943. civic classes, because they address an important Press reports from 1938 record Henley's effusive com­ attempt at a public private partnership to accom­ ments on the importance of Vulcan and the Vulcan plish a significant objective. Let us hope the attempt Park improvements then being completed. Henley succeeds. appears to have had a busy schedule speaking to civic groups around the city on the subject of Vulcan and its history. Vive Vulcan!

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! RECENT SUPPORT FOR THE RESTORATION OF VULCAN &HIS PARK

The Society has worked to research and document a the statue be removed from the pedestal within three complete history of Vulcan and the Vulcan Park site, to five years to avoid serious deterioration. Veloz noted develop a clear understanding of the site's significance, that if properly conserved, cast iron can last for thou­ and a vision for future management and operation of sands of years. the park with a goal of enhancing public understand­ June 1993-August 1996. Society Trustees — Stewart ing and appreciation of Vulcan and his park. The fol­ Dansby, Philip Morris, Hugh Rushing, Rick Sprague, lowing chronology lists relevant Society activities. Marjorie White and later David Herring, Michael 1992-1993. The Society conducted a National Park Mills and Carolanne Roberts — champion the full Service (NPS) sponsored study of more than 600 sites restoration of Vulcan and his Park. Herring served as in a five-county area historically known as the chairman of the Society's Task Force. These Trustees Birmingham District. NPS selected Vulcan as one of serve on the Society's Vulcan Committee and a may­ two sites for future study and eligibility for National oral task force chaired by Sam Frazier that meets from Historic Landmark status. An NPS planning report September 1993 to December 1995. The task force also recommended Vulcan Park as the top site for a vis­ recommends immediate removal of the statue and itor center to tell Vulcan's story and that of the region restoration of the statue and the park. visible from the tower. 1995. The Society conducts a survey of visual docu­ 1993-1994. The Society sponsored the Historic mentation of the Vulcan statue in national archives American Engineering Record (HAER), a Washing­ and newspapers, locating the first view seen in ton D. C. based National Park Service agency's docu­ Birmingham of the statue's original installation at the mentation of the statue and park. HAER sent teams St. Louis World's Fair, 1904. This Vulcan becomes the of historians, architects and photographers to record model for future restoration. and delineate the Vulcan statue, monument and park 1995. The City of Birmingham contracts with the and the adjacent Valley View and Lone Pine No. 3 Society to develop a photographic exhibit for installa­ Red Ore Mines. Documentation resulted in ink on tion in the tower, a public relations campaign and mylar drawings, large-format photographs and histo­ interpretive services for Birmingham's Olympic soccer ries. The Society researched the adjacent railroad and visitors. The City supports landscape and signage ore mining activity along Red Mountain. improvements for Vulcan. Topographic maps of the site and adjacent mines were also developed. This documentation is now 1995. The Society accepts the Alabama Engineering located in the HABS-HAER Collection of the Hall of Fame award for Vulcan. Library of Congress, Washington D. C. and is avail­ 1995. The Society researchs and Philip Morris writes able for worldwide access. Birmingham Public Library Vulcan & His Times, a 50-page tell-all about Birming­ Archive houses copies. ham's most noted landmark. 1993. With NPS documentation in hand, the Society January 5, 1996. The Society presents A Vision for supported nomination of Vulcan to Save Outdoor Vulcan to then Mayor Arrington and receives a pledge Sculpture-S.O.S., the national registry of outdoor of $5,000,000 from the City to support the restoration sculpture worthy of preservation. of Vulcan. Trustees David Herring and Joe Bruno heads up the Society's team. Late summer, 1993. The Society formed a Vulcan Committee composed of Trustees and city officials. Spring 1996. Society Trustees Stewart Dansby, Lillie The Society brought Nick Veloz, then a National Park Fincher, Carol Slaughter and Marjorie White develop Service conservator of outdoor sculpture, to the city to an interpretive plan for welcoming Olympic visitors to review the statue's condition. Veloz recommended that Vulcan and the city.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! Spring 1996. Society Trustees and staff develop an February-May 1999. The Society Director serves on Operations and Management Plan, researching civic the Chamber of Commerce's Vulcan Marketing board composition financing and comparative visitor Committee, led by Trustee Tom Cosby, and provides center facilities within the National Park Service. members research and direction as well as visuals and Society Trustees Art Beattie, John Holcomb, Dan messages. Society staff respond to numerous speaking Puckett and Roger Putnam review financial aspects. engagements presenting slide talks to Rotary, Kiwanis, A visitation survey is also conducted. Society coun­ Lions clubs and other civic and social groups. sel Michael Mills continues negotiations with City February-March 1999. Society recommends and sup­ officials to establish a new authority to manage ports News staff in putting together a Special Sunday the park. Section of The Birmingham News. Vulcan memories May 1996. Olympic exhibition opens. Mayor Arring- and snapshots pour into The News, cementing enthu­ ton reveals that funds will not be available for Vulcan. siasm of News staffers to SAVE VULCAN. The Patch and fix remain the City's treatment of the dete­ Society distributes 10,000 copies of the Special Edition riorating statue and park. to area schools. June-August 1996. Society conducts Olympic Days at March 18, 1999. Publication of this Special Edition Vulcan, training area teachers, actors and volunteers as sets off an avalanche of public support and a major gift interpreters and providing educational programs to by the McWane Foundation of $2,000,000, reviving welcome 16,000 visitors from all 50 states and 41 for­ the City interest in the preservation of the city symbol. eign countries. Public confidence in the Vulcan campaign soars, but business leaders remain reluctant to become involved. September 1996. Society Board withdraws from nego­ tiations with the City regarding Vulcan. March-September 1999. Society organizes Schools January 29, 1999. City installs sensors to monitor Committee to release information for Vulcan study to cracks in the statue. Deterioration has increased at an all public school systems. Trustees Sadie Denson, Lillie alarming rate. Everyone is demoralized that the city Fincher-Chairman, Carol Slaughter and Marjorie symbol has gone to rack and ruin. "Fed up" Birming­ White work with a committee of top-flight educators ham News editors resolve to SAVE VULCAN. Mike to accomplish educational programming. Vive Vulcan Tomberlin becomes the lead Vulcan reporter for is the committee's work product! BHS staffer Karen The News. Emison provides valuable support. January-August 1999. Society director becomes prin­ May 1999. To support the preservation of the park, cipal spokesman for the restoration of Vulcan and his the Society reprints Birmingham's Vulcan, the Kiwanis park, nurturing a press campaign to support and Club's 1938 celebration of the original Vulcan Park enhance The Bimingham News leadership. The Society Spring 1999. Society commissions and reviews drafts releases photographs and information, grants liberal of legal work to establish the Vulcan Park Foundation, local interviews and regional and national press and a new, non-profit organization that will manage the generates substantial positive media coverage locally park and other documents that will define its relation­ and stories in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, National ship to supporting institutions. Public Radio and Turner South TV. Society staff Spring 1999. Society sponsors title research to docu­ respond to public calls and enlist volunteers to help ment Vulcan Park's boundary. A boundary is needed to SAVE VULCAN. The Birmingham Post-Herald serial­ support establishment of the foundation. Research izes Vulcan & His Times and places it on its web-page. reveals Channel 13 owns most the park.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! March-May 1999. Society initiates and obtains Save September-October 1999. Society works with Bir­ America's Treasures status for Vulcan and his park. mingham schools and Auburn University Center for This millennium initiative of the National Trust for Architecture and Urban Design to develop drawings Historic Preservation and the White House recognizes and models of Vulcan, his global family of colossi and 100 nationally significant properties. visions for a Vulcan visitor center. Spring 1999. Society Trustees work to tap leaders for November 7-December 31, 1999. Vive Vulcan-Save the emerging SAVE VULCAN campaign. Society Our City Symbol exhibition runs at the Birmingham Trustee Victor Hanson III accepts the call. Public Library Central Library. Students at Birming­ June 1999. The Vulcan Park Foundation is incorpo­ ham area schools and Auburn University exhibit pro­ rated. Society officer Steve Yoder files incorporation jects. Birmingham system school media resource coor­ documents, drawn up by Society member Frank dinators assist. McPhillips. November 1999. Society issues Members' Edition of June 1999. Society staff and volunteers conduct Vulcan Vive Vulcan-Save Our City Symbol-Activities for Students Days at Camp Birmingham's Hemphill, McArthur and of All Ages. Whatley Schools. First Look volunteers assist. November 1999. Society's Vulcan files extend to July 13, 1999. City authorizes release of $1,000,000 twentylinear feet of photographs, copies of historic to take down the statue. Funds have been in the Park newspapers and recent documentation and correspon­ Board budget since a 1996 bond issue allocated them. dence, as well as histories, drawings, studies and press coverage of the recent and successful SAVE VULCAN August 1999. Society publishes Vive Vulcan-Save Our campaign. City Symbol, Activities for Students of All Ages and dis­ tributes 3,000 copies to third through sixth graders in 11 public school systems as well as private and parochial schools. Society staff participate in Back-to- School teacher and media resource coordinator work­ shops encouraging Vulcan study units.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! A VISION FORVULCAN

Deteriorating and abused, the great statue of the expected visitation and will consist principally of a Vulcan and his park on top of Birmingham's Red visitor center, modeled after the highly successful visi­ Mountain deserve restoration consistent with their tor centers built by the National Park Service around original design and intent to serve as a symbol of our the country. The visitor center will accommodate a area and a focus of learning and understanding for cit­ multi-media interpretive center, exhibits, a gift shop, izens, school children and tourists. Declared an offices and rest rooms adequate to serve the site. A pic­ American Treasure as part of the National Trust for nic pavilion and access for service trucks will accom­ Historic Preservation's Millennium campaign, the his­ modate both casual visitors and special events. toric park is potentially eligible for National Historic Lighting will feature the statue. Landmark status. The Birmingham Historical Society Organization and Ownership. The restoration presents this Vision for Vulcan and invites response and improvement of Vulcan Park and its ongoing oper­ from the Birmingham area. ation will be managed through a public-private part­ Mission and Purpose. As the most widely recog­ nership. Funds for the restoration and improvements nized symbol of the founding and early growth of will come from public and private sources, inspired by Birmingham, Vulcan is the once and future "place to the magnificent lead gift of the McWane family whose visit" in the Birmingham area. It will be the place to forbears first cast Vulcan in 1904 and underwrote a tell the history of our area to the tourists who, every substantial portion of its original cost. The City of survey says, want to know about us; and it will be the Birmingham will continue to own Vulcan Park and place for our children, indeed all of us, to learn about will be responsible for non-routine and structural where we came from and what we have accomplished. maintenance, utilities and insurance.

Restoration. The statue of Vulcan will be removed A non-profit corporation will be established from its pedestal, repaired in accordance with the to raise the remaining portion of the $10,000,000 sculptor Giuseppe Moretti's original design, and rein­ required for the restoration and improvements, and stalled on a properly designed and permanent frame. to manage the future operation of the park under The monument will be restored in accordance with ordinance or contract with the City. The board of the the magnificent 1930s design. Subsequently installed Vulcan Park Foundation will be representative of the marble cladding will be removed to reveal the magni­ governments and organizations that have supported ficent stone work from local rock by local stone cutters Vulcan through the years and in the present restora­ of Italian descent, and the elevator will be relocated to tion effort. The Vulcan Park Foundation will employ the center of the pedestal. The surrounding park, a director and a small staff and will contract for main­ including cascade, terraces and staircases, will be tenance, cleaning and security services. Funds for restored to its original character. Restoration will fol­ operations will come from admissions, concessions low the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for and special events and from the City of Birmingham. National Register of Historic Places sites. The City will continue to provide financial support Improvements. Additional improvements will be for park operations at the current level, adjusted limited to those appropriate to the size of the site and for inflation.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES FORVULCAN

(1) The contribution of substantial private funds to preservation guidelines and practices attract visitors, the Vulcan Park Foundation will give the Foundation tourists and dollars. Public structures not restored in the right and responsibility to require that high stan­ accordance with recognized preservation guidelines dards be set and accomplished for the restoration and have a much higher failure rate. operation of Vulcan. The Foundation should take Physical and operating plans for Vulcan should be advantage of its present very strong bargaining posi­ consistent with that of a monument, i.e. Vulcan is tion with the City to establish at the earliest possible intended to stand for centuries, not become obsolete in date an appropriate legal framework for Vulcan. The a short period, as a restaurant fails after a time, or even Foundation has a fiduciary obligation with respect to a shopping center becomes outmoded. Physical and the funds that it raises. operating plans should be consistent with the physical (2) It is important that the Foundation pursue in all space available. Facilities, parking and access should that it does the mission of preserving, protecting and all be balanced. enhancing the statue of Vulcan and the surrounding (8) The project should be handled in a financially park as the "place to visit" in the Birmingham area. responsible manner. Reasonable capital and operating The necessary conditions of success in this mission budgets should be developed and approved based on are appropriate restoration of the statue and the park, appropriate research and analysis. first class continuing maintenance and operation of (9) Both the design and construction should be coor­ the facility, and a rich and effectively delivered pro­ dinated by the Foundation with approval by the City gram of education about the statue and the area it at key points. The selection of demonstrably compe­ overlooks, directed to tourists, residents and school tent professionals to guide the restoration process will children alike. assist the fund raising effort by increasing confidence (3) The quality of the education program comprising that the project will be appropriately carried forward. part of the Foundation's mission should be assured by The Foundation should retain a highly competent setting aside a portion of the funds raised by the restoration architect, preferably from Birmingham, and Foundation as an endowment to support educational should supplement local architectural talent with programs. appropriate consultants from elsewhere. (4) The Foundation should employ competent legal Through evaluation of competitive proposals the counsel that does not have a conflict of interest Foundation should select one of the leading construc­ because of regular representation of the City or for any tion managers in the area. The construction manager other reason. should work with appropriate design talent to oversee the design and implementation of the renovations, (5) The City or the Foundation should obtain title to or taking competitive bids or competitive proposals as a long term leasehold interest in the property presently appropriate. making up the recognized boundaries of the park. Competitive bids are not required if the (6) Restoration should be accomplished so as to realize Foundation uses private funds. For those portions of the potential of Vulcan to become a National Historic the work using public funds, separate project bids Landmark. Planning should be coordinated with the through the City can be arranged. National Historic Landmark office of the National (10) The Foundation should contract for services Park Service and the Alabama Historical Commission. (cleaning, security, landscaping, maintenance) when­ (7) It should be recognized that adherence to estab­ ever possible. The experience of other agencies and a lished principles for historic preservation is a practical careful review of Vulcan Park operations indicates that not just an ideological consideration, because better quality services at lower cost can be obtained in structures restored in accordance with recognized this manner.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! (11) City employees on site should be kept to a mini­ (14) The City should commit to appropriate each year mum to avoid the problems associated with a private to Vulcan Park the same funds appropriated in the fis­ foundation managing employees subject to civil ser­ cal year ending June 30, 1999 adjusted for inflation, vice. One park board employee with experience at and should continue to provide utilities and insurance Vulcan Park plus contract services for landscaping and in accordance with past practices (utilities and insur­ trees should be sufficient. ance at Vulcan not having been separately budgeted or (12) Concessions and special events, if any, should be accounted for in the past). The Foundation should be managed by the Foundation. Adverse experience at the permitted to retain admission fees and all other rev­ Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center and at Vulcan Park enues generated at the site for support of programs at itself with patronage based selection of concessionaires the park. To the extent that these funds are not suffi­ should not be repeated, especially on the back of a pro­ cient for operations, the Foundation should be com­ ject funded mostly with private contributions. mitted to raise all funds reasonably required for ade­ quate operations. Surplus funds should be invested by (13) Since the City will continue to own title to the Foundation and returned to the City upon expira­ Vulcan Park it should be responsible for major mainte­ tion or cancellation of the lease to the Foundation nance and preventive maintenance for major items. from the City. These would include structural components, pave­ ment, drainage, retaining walls, wiring, roofs and simi­ lar items. The Foundation should be responsible for elevator and air conditioner maintenance, including preventive maintenance.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! THE RESUME OF A MAN OF IRON

Conception: Vulcan was born from a burning desire on the part of Birmingham businessmen to promote the area's industrial potential at the 1904 St. Louis Wotld's Fait. Ptesenting the wotld's latgest cast metal sttuctute — latgest statue in the United States aftet the Statue of Liberty — would sutely make an imptession. And it did.

Gestation: A dtamatic stoty, chronicled on the front pages of majot New Yotk newspapets: Sculptot Giuseppe Motetti, Italian immigtant, had 40 days to cteate the model of Vulcan in an unfinished New Jetsey church in the dead of wintet. Motetti, a populat figure on the art scene, shipped Vulcan's plastet cast "parts" to Birmingham foundries in seg­ ments. Meanwhile, the art wotld swooned with admitation ovet the wotk in progress. D.O.B.: Bitmingham Steel and Iron, opetated by James R. McWane, went into action. The latgest castings evet made, supported by money from the Bitmingham public, began to fotm the Man of Iron. Time span from Vulcan's conception to his dedica­ tion at the Wotld's Fait: 9 months. Total cost: $20,000. A neat mitacle of technology and desire. Triumph of the Fair: Vulcan "held court" in the centet of the Palace of Mines and Metallutgy (a majot pavilion), sutrounded by othet exhibits touting Alabama's minetals and industries. Fait attendance: 20 million. Awatds: Best Exhibit in Palace (fot Vulcan himself), silvet medals fot Moretti and McWane. Homecoming: Aftet 7 months in St. Louis, Vulcan returned to Bitmingham. But where? Although Bitmingham ladies objected to his bate bottomed totso, the Alabama State Faitgrounds watmly accepted him. Fot 30 yeats, he was a populat meeting place fot families gathering at the fait. Graduation: Finally, Vulcan ttuly returned home to the crest of Red Mountain from which his otiginal materials had been mined. Perched atop a pedestal with a museum in his base, he became a highly visible landmatk on the Bitmingham skyline. All Eyes on Vulcan: Once moved, he became the man to visit in Bitmingham, the city's only teal toutist atttaction, and the premiet place fot first kisses and marriage proposals. The neon torch (shining green in times of traffic safety, red when fatalities occur) was added in the 1940s. Vulcan is the city symbol to all.

Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! A Victim of Age: Following the common practice of the 1930s, Vulcan's interior was filled with concrete, a substance which expands at a rate 20% greater than iron. With the passage of time, contracting with the cold, expanding with the heat, Vulcan's exterior cracked. He must now be repaired so that his long life may continue.

Help on the Way: Measures will be taken to repair Vulcan by removing him — temporarily — from his high perch over Birmingham, extracting the concrete, and stabilizing his structure. At the same time, his base will also be strengthened with a new steel frame.

STATS AT BIRTH

Claims to fame: Largest cast metal statue in world; second-largest U.S. statue Height of statue: 56 feet Birth: Difficult and heroic; iron molders worked night and day Weight: 120,000 lbs. Foot size: 6 feet (can sleep one reclining person) Circumference of chest: 22 feet, 6 inches Circumference of waist: 18 feet, 3 inches Sum of his parts: Cast of iron in 21 pieces with connecting flanges Height of pedestal: 123 feet Height above Birmingham: 390 feet in elevation

• Carolanne Roberts, Southern Living editor and Birmingham Historical Society volunteer

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! BIRMINGHAM AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY

This 1908 view looks north on 20th Street toward Linn Park. Building) is on the right, bursting above the late-19th century build­ The First National Bank skyscraper (now the Frank Nelson ings of the city center. Alvin Hudson Collection.

For Alabama and the South, Birmingham at the industrial area struggled. In the 1880s, growth began turn of the 20th century was certainly an upstart. in earnest and, by 1900, this out-of-nowhere "Magic Minerals for a promising future had lain under­ City" had become the state's largest with a population ground for eons, but the mapping of these resources of more than 38,000, not counting the soon-to-be- and the development of railroads connecting the consolidated suburbs and other settlements across the sparsely settled area to distant markets came after the emerging region. By 1910, Birmingham's population Civil War. After the city's founding in 1871, the new had risen to 132,685.

Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! THE BIG IDEA

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"Birth of a Birmingham Pig" These photographs show the stagesAge-Heral d on July 24,1938 as the Vulcan Monument on of pig iron production at Woodward Iron Company — from Red Mountain was nearing completion. In the 1930s, mining the ore within Red Mountain (top left) to tapping the Birmingham was America's leading foundry ironmaker. furnaces and casting the pig iron (bottom right). The photo­ Birmingham Public Library Archives. graphs appeared in The Birmingham News-The Birmingham

In the fall of 1903, industry in Birmingham and in Club (predecessor of the Chamber of Commerce). the entire nation was in full bloom. The Birmingham Journalist and promoter, James MacKnight suggested a District was proven as a major producer of iron and sculpture of iron, the largest in the world, as an appro­ had begun to produce steel rail. priate means of attracting "wide attention . . . and to The opportunity to advertise Birmingham to the symbolize Alabama's supremacy in the production nation and the world with an exhibit at the 1904 of iron." St. Louis World's Fair was presented to the Commercial Birmingham Historical Society © VIVE VULCAN! THE ART SCENE

In the art world, the turn of the 20th century was a sooty, dirty surroundings and engaged in hard labor. period of heroic sculpture. Frederic Bartholdi's Statue Perhaps because Vulcan reflects reality and industrial of Liberty was completed in 1886. Such large statues Birmingham, rather than unworldly mythology, he has were frequently commissioned for homes and public been a popular sculpture through the years. His image parks, and especially for world fairs. appeals to everyone. Birmingham experienced much For Birmingham's heroic statue, the Commercial favorable publicity during 1903 and 1904, as the world Club chose a most unheroic figure: Vulcan, the Roman was introduced to Vulcan, the new symbol of the city's god of the forge, a working man, usually pictured in industrial success and potential.

Sculpture was in high demand. Italian firms marketed these same palace where the Vulcan statue was displayed. Everything pieces in the St. Louis Palace of Mines and Metallurgy, the in this photograph was for sale. Birmingham Public Library

Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! TIME LINE

VULCAN BIRMINGHAM

December 19, 1871 October 13, 1903 City established by southerners as a "Magic City" Commercial Club chooses Vulcan to that would grow from the ashes for the Civil War represent Birmingham. 1880 into the industrial and transportation center of November 24, 1903 a mineral rich region. Population 0. Moretti commissioned to sculpt the By the late 1880s colossal iron man. 1890 Iron furnaces and foundries flourish, population January-February, 1904 grows to 26,178. By 1900 Full-size plaster casts poured at St. 1900 Stephen's Church, Passaic, New Jersey. Birmingham becomes the world's largest producer of pig iron and pipe and also makes March 12-May 7, 1904 steel for rails. Population; 38,415. Birmingham Steel and Iron foundry casts 1910 the Iron Man of Sloss No.2 Pig Iron. Annexation of surrounding industrial commu­ May 1-December 1, 1904 nities makes Birmingham the industrial center Vulcan reigns in the Palace of Mines and of the South and one of the fastest growing Metallurgy, St. Louis World's Fair. cities in America. Population: 132,685. 1920s Jones Valley from Bessemer to Roebuck fills October 1906-1935 with residences as Jefferson County grows to Vulcan at the Alabama State Fairgrounds. 1940 431,493. Birmingham population: 259,678. 1935-1938 L 1930s Kiwanis Club spearheads public-private Alabama's first all-paved four-lane highway campaign to build the Red Mountain 1950 U. S. 31 extends across the city and to Vulcan monument, museum and park Park. Nucleus of today's University of Alabama at Birmingham medical center established. 1968-1971 1960 1956-1964 Vulcan Park modernized as part of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth and the Alabama Birmingham's Bicentennial Celebration. Christian Movement for Human Rights test 1993-94 segregation laws and win Civil Rights for The Historic American Engineering all Americans. Record-National Park Service documents L 1971 the statue and park as a possible National Birmingham turns 100. Historic Landmark site. -1980s-1990s While retaining its strong base in heavy industry, 1999 city grows as a center of medicine, engineering, Statue in peril. banking, insurance and historic preservation. 2000 •1999 2004 Community unites to save our symbol and plan Vulcan turns 100. the full restoration of the statue and park. Birmingham Historical Society © VIVE VULCAN! COLOSSI OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

The most striking thing about Vulcan is his size: colossal!

The tradition of huge memorials dates back to the Egyptian Old Kingdom. The Greek historian of the 5th century B.C., Herodotus, first used the term colossus in speaking of the enormous statues of the Egyptian pharaohs Amenhotep III and Ramesses II.

The major colossus of the ancient world and one of the "Seven Wonders of the World," the Colossus of Rhodes was, like Vulcan, a monument raised by a city. This immense statue of the sun god Helios, erected in 290 B.C., was a figure 105 feet tall. While an earthquake felled it in 224 B.C., its fame and memory linger on.

The Roman emperors also erected colossi of themselves. The Emperor Constantine's seated figure, 30 feet high, dominated his basilica in Rome. Only the marble head, 8.5 feet tall, about the height of Vulcan's face, survives.

The 19th century admiration for classical antiquity and especially for the Roman world brought about the revival of colossi. The greatest of these is the Statue of Liberty by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. Bartholdi had gone to Egypt as a young man and had seen the colossi there. Every American must have been impressed by the Franco-American joint venture which set a colossus in New York harbor, taller than that at ancient Rhodes. Liberty already had her place there when Giuseppe Moretti first came to New York from Italy in 1888. Moretti's earliest job in America was working on sculpture at the base of the monument.

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Colossi of Memnon, Funerary Temple Colossi of Ramesses II, Funerary of Amenhotep III, Thebes, Egypr, Temple, Thebes, Egypr, stone, c. 13th stone, c. 14th-15rh cenrury B.C., cenrury B.C., 57 ft., fallen. 51.18 ft., fallen.

Colossus of Rhodes by Chares, bronze, destroyed, 3rd cenrury B.C. 105 ft., destroyed.

Constanrine the Great, Rome, brick core, wooden body, bronze covered, head and limbs of marble, 4th cenrury A.D., 30 ft., 8.5 ft. head alone remains. Athena Pathenos, Parthenon, Arhens, Herakles, Tarenrum, by Lysippus, by Phidias, gold and ivory on wooden bronze, destroyed, 4th cenrury B.C.. frame, 5rh cenrury B.C., 39 ft., gone. 60 ft., destroyed Dimensions are heights of the figures only, without base or Recreated for Nashville's Parthenon pedestal. Sources disagree about heights; the more conservative Replica. measure is given here. Dr. John Schnorrenberg Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! MAP OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

INSTRUCTIONS: Place names below in appropriate locations on the map.

A. Mediterranean Sea Colossi B. Rome, Italy C. Athens, Greece 1. Colossi of Memnon D. Mt. Olympus, Macedonia 2. Colossi of Ramesses II (home of the mythological gods) 3. Colossus of Rhodes E. Mt. Aetna (on a volcanic isle off Sicily) 4. Athena Parthenos F. Rhodes (on the isle of) Crete 5. Heracles G. Thebes (Luxor) Egypt 6. Constantine The Great H. Tarentum

boundary of the Roman Empire

Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! VULCAN'S FAMILY

Vulcan, being the Roman god of the forge, was a popular has made. In classical tradition, the gods were draped, but seldom classical theme pursued in art beginning with the Renaissance. clothed. Venus at the Forge of Vulcan, based on a work by Jan Here, the muscular Vulcan is shown at his forge by Flemish Brueghel, the Younger (1568-1625), John Woodman Higgins painter Hendrick Van Balen. About him are spread things he Armory, Worcester, MA, photographed by Don Eaton.

In ancient Roman mythology, Vulcan stood out for because he sided with Juno in an argument. After falling being useful. Born of Jupiter and Juno, he was, depend­ a whole day, he landed on an Mediterranean island and, ing on the account, thrown from Mt. Olympus by his assisted by the Cyclopes, worked his forge of volcanoes mother because he was lame and ugly, or by Jupiter to produce shields, weapons and chariots for the gods.

Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! "~':§ff*~

The mythological Vulcan, assisted by his labor force of one- An 1886 book promoting trie region, The Mineral Wealth of eyed Cyclopes, harnessed the volcanoes ofMt. Aetna to Alabama and Birmingham, contains this advertisement, the produce everything the gods needed — from spear points to first-known local use of what appears to be a figure of Vulcan. buildings, golden ornament to thunderbolts. Vulcan was the Birmingham Historical Society. one useful god: the workingman. Drawing by Scott Fuller.

Vulcan's Family Tree

KING OF GODS QUEEN OF GODS JUPITER (Roman) JUNO (Roman) ZEUS (Greek) HERA (Greek)

GOD OF AGRICULTURE GOD OF INDUSTRY GODDESS OF LOVE MARS (Roman) VULCAN (Roman) + VENUS (Roman) ARES (Greek) HEPHAESTUS (Greek) APHRODITE (Greek) (His Brother) Occupation: expert metalsmith (His Wife) Smithy under Mt. Aetna Workmen = The Cyclopes

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! MORETTI TO THE RESCUE

Born in Sienna, Italy in 1859, Giuseppe Moretti was the nephew of an Italian cardinal and art patron. Moretti studied art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. After an initial career in Austria, he emigrated to the United States in 1888. His first American commission was for statuary and friezes at the W K.Vanderbilt Residence, Newport, Rhode Island, and work on the base of the Statue of Liberty.

Sculptor Giuseppe Moretti, in a portrait with a miniature model of Vulcan, was in his mid-forties when he accepted the Birmingham commission, a physically demanding project that Moretti executed with unheard-of speed. Birmingham Public Library Archives.

A formal portrait of the upper portion of the plaster cast of Vulcan was taken in the partially built St. Stephen's Church in Passaic, New Jersey used by sculptor Giuseppe Moretti as a stu­ dio. This photograph was published on the front page of The Birmingham News on January 30, 1904. Moretti leans back above his skilled crew while Vulcan's press agent James MacKnight stands at lower left. Birmingham Public Library Archives. In the years prior to Birmingham's Vulcan, Moretti had created major public monu­ ments in Pittsburgh, including the 56-foot-tall Welcome, and the gates to Highland Park. Birmingham Public Library Archives. Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! Though his studio was located in New York City from 1888 to 1904, his major work during the 1890s consisted of monumental bronze statuary for Pittsburgh parks. Prior to the Vulcan commission, Moretti had won a bronze medal at the Paris Exposition of 1900. In 1903, he completed a statue of Cornelius Vanderbilt erected at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

While in Alabama, Moretti became enthusiastic about Sylacauga marble, sculpting a head of Christ also exhibited with Vulcan at the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904 and, in 1908, a memorial statue of teacher Mary Cahalan now located in Linn Park. In 1909, Moretti returned to Italy but was soon back in the U.S. creating World War I memorials for a number of cities as well as commissions for influential patrons across the Northeast. From 1916 to 1923, his studio was in Pittsburgh. Moretti returned again to Italy in 1925 where he died at San Remo in 1935 at the age of 76.

Moretti's first 24-inch clay model of his proposed Vulcan. Birmingham Public Library Archives.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! RECIPE FORPIG IRON

RECIPE: t)lOSS Ho. 2 Pi^ Iron SERVES: GO tons, suFFlclent For casting Vulcan FROM: ^loss Furnaces National Historic Landmark Dirmin^ham Historical ^ocetv\ One 5\ot>s Quartern Dirmin^ham, Alabama 3^222 INGREDIENTS: YZO tons oF iron ore 30 tons oF limestone GO tons oF coke ^0 tons oF air - to heat the Furnace }&0 tons oF yater - to cool the Furnace COOKING TIME: 3-4 hours MELTING POINT: \J00° TEMP. AT TOP: Z,Q>00° YIELD: GO tons oF iron and GO tons oF slaci

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCA THE FOUNDRYMEN'S CHALLENGE

Making iron at the American Cast Iron Pipe Company foundry into molds for making pipe (top center). Birmingham View Co., are these unidentified men who pose as molten metal is poured 1906, Birmingham Public Library Archives

"It was decidedly the hardest casting ever made in Buettiker, the last remaining molder of Vulcan, said Birmingham, and it taxed the ability of the foundry- the men worked 60 hours a week for four months men. Several who have visited the foundry have at 35 cents an hour. During the last six weeks, stated that they would never have known how to go Buettiker, who had started foundry work at age 14, did about it," reported the Birmingham Age-Herald, April not leave the plant at all, with castings made at 2 a.m. 25, 1904, as the final work commenced. In a 1962 or anytime they were ready. interview in The Birmingham News, 82-year-old Fred

Birmingham Historical Society Q VIVE VULCAN! CASTING THE COLOSSUS

The pouring of the iron took only minutes, but the making of the complicated molds from brick and sand took weeks at the hands of skilled foundry men. This drawing roughly outlines the cavity between the outside mold and the interior core where This photograph published in a 1905 American Machinist article shows the completed the iron would be poured. Illustrator: casting of Vulcan's head, which weighed approximately 15,000 hs. Library of Congress. Scott Fuller.

Birmingham Historical Society 0 VIVE VULCAN! MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS

In this view of the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904, the were temporary structures, their exteriors covered in staff (a nine-acre Palace of Mines and Metallurgy is visible on the left. tough plaster). Birmingham Public Library Archives. A pair of giant obelisks flanks its grand entry. Fair buildings THE FAIR ALABAMA'S EXHIBIT

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Exposure at the St. Louis fair was seen as advertising and pro­ Louisiana Purchase, the St. Louis World's motion for the industrial district, and viewed by visionary busi­ Fair should have opened April 30, 1903. But ness leaders as a way to attract new manufacturers to Alabama. organizers realized early on they could not Instead of shipping raw metal north to be turned into products, make that date, so the exposition was "dedi­ they felt the city should develop home markets, adding jobs and cated" on that date and opened a year later. dollars to the economy. At Vulcan's feet were exhibits of the Attractions spread over 1,240 acres drew an state's raw materials and products made from them. Though average 100,000 visitors per day. Like most international fairs in this period did provide amusement, great temporary fair structures of the era, ornate emphasis was placed on presenting goods and resources. palace exteriors were shaped from staff (rein­ During the run of the fair, nearly 20 million visitors forced plaster). One permanent structure was came. There were eight major exhibit palaces and acres of diver­ the core of the Palace of Fine Arts, now part sions ranging from the newly invented automobile to a tribe of of the St. Louis Museum of Art. Vulcan, the pygmies, but Vulcan unquestionably stood out. More than great "Iron Man" from Birmingham, Alabama, 20,000 visitors signed the exhibit register and Vulcan statuettes remains one of the few other large, surviving sold out. artifacts of the fair. Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! TRIUMPH AT THE FAIR

"THOUSANDS ADMIRE THE GREAT STATUE Only Vulcan's feet and lower legs were in place when the OF VULCAN," read the Birmingham Age-Herald St. Louis World's Fair opened on April 30, 1904, but by headline of May 1, 1904, but their admiration could dedication in early June, the "Iron Man" was triumphantly dominating the huge Palace of Mines and Metallurgy. Exhibits only reach as high as his knees. "Several parts of the at his feet featured raw materials and products from 20 Alabama statue are already in place, and this exhibit is attracting counties. Fair officials named Vulcan the official Alabama exhibit, more attention than any other one thing in the exposi­ and an international panel of jurors awarded him a grand prize. tion. . . People stood for an hour at a time studying the Lettering on the anvil's base reads, "Vulcan God Of Fire & outlines of the legs to the knees and the piece immediate­ Metals — Cast At — Birmingham, Alabama." Missouri ly above the knees," the reporter said (with, it must be Historical Society WF 1035; photographer: Dept. of Mines & Metallurgy, 1904, St. Louis, MO. assumed, some exaggeration). Birmingham Historical Society

Weight of Figure: 100,000 lbs. Weight of Cast: figure+anvil, block, hammer, spearpoint: 120,000 lbs. Weight of Concrete Fill: 120,000 lbs. Weight of an Alabama-made Mercedes M-Class Sports vehicle: 6,005 lbs. Weight of a Honda Accord, to be made in Alabama: 3,990 lbs. Vulcan + concrete fill = weight of 60 Honda Accords or 40 Mercedes M-Class sport vehicles Fabrication and Assembly: The statue was cast and assem­ bled in 21 pieces — feet and lower legs, upper legs and hips, waist, chest and back,etc.— bolted together internally. Bolt Connections: The castings for the statue are held together by large bolt connections. Sleeve Connections: Each casting has a tapered end which is inserted into a sleeve at the end of the adjoining piece. The bolts are attached to a flange at the end of this sleeve. Pedestal Connection: According to the architect's 1939 structural drawings, the statue is connected to the pedestal by bolts into Vulcan's feet and by steel rods which extend 10' up the statue's legs into the concrete fill. Pieces (listed in dissasembly order) Pounds (not including concrete fill) 1. Spearpoint 2. Right Hand (hollow) 3. Right Arm (hollow) 4. Right Arm ((hollow) 5. Right Shoulder (hollow) 6. Left Shoulder (hollow) 7. Left Arm (hollow). . : 8. Left Hand (hollow) 9. Head (hollow) 10. Hammer 11. Anvil (hollow) 12. Anvil Block (hollow) 13. Anvil Block 14. Chest (concrete filled) 15. Waist (concrete filled) 16. Hips (concrete filled) 17. Thighs (concrete filled) 18. Right Knee (concrete filled) 19. Left Knee (concrete filled) 20. Right Foot (concrete filled) 21. Left Foot (concrete filled)

Sources of Information: Birmingham Historical Society's Vulcan and His Times; press accounrs from rhe time of the statue's casting, 1903-1904 and in the 1930s; and historic documenration drawings by Richard Anderson, Historic American Engineering Record-National Park Service.

Technical adviser: Mark Davis

Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! THE RED MOUNTAIN REVIVAL

In his new, highly visible location on the ridge This photograph of Vulcan and his park captures overlooking Birmingham, Vulcan was revived as a the superb fit the 1930s-era stonework provides worthy symbol of the city. The number of local com­ between the monument and its prominent natural setting atop the red ore vein that gave rise to panies using "Vulcan" in their name jumped. And, as Birmingham's industry. Photographer: O.V. pro-moted in the campaign to move him, Vulcan Hunr; Birmingham Public Library Archives. quickly became a popular destination. Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! NATIONAL VULCAN STATUE and PACK • 19(14, 1936 PARK SERVICE LBDKMQNC&LrlAMs ALABAMA DOCUMENTATION

During the early 1990s, a National Park Service survey of historical sites identified the potential of Vulcan and Vulcan Park as both a National His­ toric Landmark candidate and as a visitor center for the greater Birming­ ham area. As part of this multi-year study, the Historic American Engine­ ering Record (HAER), a Washington- based division of the National Park Service, prepared measured drawings, documentary photographs and text on Vulcan and his setting in the 1930s. This drawing of Vulcan Park is both documentary and interpretive. It captures in one image the statue of Vulcan and its symbolic placement in a prominent park setting over the iron ore vein that supplied Birmingham's early industry. Historic American Engineering Record- National Park Service; illustrator: Richard K. Anderson, Jr., 1993.

The pedestal, watts, steps and pools were constructed of Locally quarried sandstone end won ore. The perk incorporated the drift vice, as part of a long-nenge pro­ of Lone Pine Mine N93 and* por­ gram to document industrial, tech- tion of the Birmingham Mineral noiogicaLand transportation sites Railroad bed, This site plan significant to United States'his­ shows the monument, park, and tory. This drawing was based on surroundings c.4939. Landscaping research performed by Matthew A series of photogrammetric aerial views were appears to have been limited Ki&rstxad (h%£R'historian) Marjoria originally to a terraced lawn and L. White and Brenda tfcweCl (Birming­ Red Mountain formation: fine­ Alabama; strata named in quota­ taken as part of the 1998 documentation. the retention of selected pre­ ham Historical Society/; Joet Eiiason SITE SECTIONS grained sandstone... including tions based on "Red Mountain existing trees. (Nimrod LongfAssocuitesJsandon nematLtLc beds and beds of Profits"in Birmingham Water site work by Richard K Anderson Jr. Mtfp Tuscumbia Limestone and fort ferruginous sandstone. Works Co. Plan of Red Mountain Historic American Engineering Record- The Vulcan Statue and Park Record­ (industrial archeology consultant), Payne Chert undifferentiated Tunnel and Montgomery Highway ing Project was sponsored by the Lewis Shannon, and Craig N. Strong Defm Chattanooga Shale and Frog Chickamauga Limestone Jut/, 1934. Vulcan monument National Park Service; photographer: Cify of Birmingham, the Birmingham (HAER Architect). Jet Lowe made Mountain Sandstone undif­ MtfpfDcfm/Srm/Oc stratigraphy based on original Warren, Knight the formal ftAEftphotographs. based On 1988 Geologic Map of and Davis elevation, 193G. Jet Lowe. Historical ocmaty, and Nimma Long ferentiated

Birmingham Historical Society Q) VIVE VULCAN! RESTORING THE STATUE

The concrete poured into Vulcan up to his shoulders to help Proposed Construction Sequence anchor him to his new perch in the late 1930s was effective in a make-do way. He was, and still is, stable, with metal rods Disassembly Preparation extending from the concrete tower cap 10 feet into his legs, Build ramp but concrete expands and contracts at a different rate than Move 500-ton crane cast iron. The concrete also tends to trap moisture and cre­ ate long-term deleterious effects on the iron plates and their Disassemble Pieces & Remove connections. Vulcan is slowly cracking up. Concrete

Prepare to Exhibit Pieces for Public Viewing

Public Viewing of Pieces

Back to Foundry for Repairs

Build Steel Frame

Restore Monument

Put Vulcan Back Up, Piece by Piece

Restore Park Landscape, Including Waterfall

Build Visitor Center Problems with Vulcan cracking and with the concrete poured Hold Celebration for the Restoration inside him to help anchor him to of Vulcan Park his pedestal have been studied and various solutions proposed. Photograph: Frank Couch, Reopen Park and Enjoy It The Birmingham News.

The comprehensive solution for the statue is to take it down in pieces, remove the concrete, restore parts that need it and reinstall them on a new steel armature mounted to the tower. Robinson Iron, 1994-

Birmingham Historical Society (£) VIVE VULCAN! A VISION FOR VULCAN

This watercolor suggests how Vulcan Park will appear when setting and views of Vulcan will be improved. A new visitor returned to the character of the 1930s period. With an interior center to tell Vulcan's story and the history of the city will be elevator, the monument will, once again, have its slender profileconstructed at the site. Birmingham Historical Society; and stonework exposed. The landscape will defer to the natural watercolor by Bob Moody, 1995.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! (fy AMERICAN LANDMARKS

Liberty Enlightening the World-The Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, designer: Joseph B. Strauss, sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, copper on iron 1.86 miles of roadway long, rhe second-longest framework, 1874-1886, 151 feet, the tallest statue in single-span bridge in rhe world, San Francisco. rhe United States, New York Harbor.

St. Louis Arch, Eero Saarinen, 1961, 630 feet, Washington Monument, by Robert Mills, 1848- St. Louis, Missouri. 1884, 555 feet tall, Washington D. C; the tallest structure in rhe world at construction.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! ^) TALLEST AMERICAN MONUMENT

The original claim that Vulcan is the largest cast Vulcan, stretch his monumental presence: "Vulcan iron statue in the world appears to hold true. At 56 feet stands atop a pedestal 124 feet high, so that the mon­ high, Vulcan also stands tall as the second tallest ument, as a whole, rises to a height of 179 feet, which statue in the United States, a distant second to is taller than Niagara Falls. Since the statue was plant­ Frederic Bartholdi's 151-foot-tall Liberty Enlightening ed on the crest of a mountain some 390 feet above the World in New York Harbor. Liberty is made of ham­ Birmingham, Vulcan surveys the city center from an mered copper over an iron framework. Further claims elevation of nearly 600 feet, just over the height of the made for Vulcan in a 1938 publication, Birmingham's Washington Monument, the tallest shaft in America."

Vulcan atop Red Mounrain • Washington Monumenr 600 feet 555 feet

Vulcan is what art historians call a monument, a an artist sympathetic to the concept and bold enough work whose actual or apparent scale is vast and to venture the technical challenge of the scale. which is intended to be an enduring sign. It is the — Dr. John M. Schnorrenberg, local expression of an international urge to give visual University of Alabama at Birmingham form to the aspirations of a particular place, made by Department of Art

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! ^ VULCAN'S GLOBAL FAMILY

A. Mother Russia, B. Statue of Liberty, C. Christ the Redeemer, by Yevgenyi Vuchetich, by Frederic Bartholdi, 1931, 98.5 feet, Corco- 1967, 270 feet, Volograd, 1874-1886, 151 feet, vado Mountain, 2,329 Russia, reinforced con­ hammered copper over feet high, Rio De Janeiro, crete with stainless steel an iron framework. concrete and soapstone. sword.

D. Bavaria, by Ludwig Michael E. Vulcan, by Giuseppe Moretti, F. The Amika Buddha, 1252, Schwanthaler, 1848, 59 feet, 1904, 57 feet, Birmingham, 37 feet, Kamakura, Japan, Munich, Germany, cast bronze. Alabama, cast iron with bronze. polished steel spearpoint

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! ^ QUIZ

The mythological god, Vulcan is the god of . A by profession, his was located on the Sicilian Island of . . Here, he and the made for . His father was so pleased with the Vulcan created, that he gave his son to be his wife.

The (original) statue of Vulcan This statue depicts a male figure, his left foot forward and his right arm uplifted holding a . His left hand holds a . He wears sandals and is clothed (in the tradition of classical sculpture) with a blacksmith's . He is standing at an block. His gesture indicates a mood of . He is proud to have just .

Birth/Creation Birmingham's Vulcan was created by the city's leaders to promote the city to the . Vulcan served as Alabama's at the (date) Fair in . , .

Materials used in the statue Vulcan is made of . The metal is made from heated in furnaces such as the (now closed and a National Historic Landmark). and limestone are also needed to make . (Steel is made from this metal.) Birmingham has these minerals in . The City of Birmingham was established to mine these minerals and to make iron and steel products. That manufacturing industry formed the economic reason for the city's founding in 1871.

Cast from ore in a foundry, the statue was designed by an (nationality) sculptor named . He used an unfinished in Passaic, New Jersey, to build the cast from which the statue was made.

Birmingham Historical Society wEa VIVE VULCAN! ^ WORD SEARCH

U K J A C B F AQ N S GU WX C J F P E T U VWC N H V PWL D R D P J I KWATO Q B T C X NOBM UA HON E H U E D T HOU S A NDPOUNDSFGN XS D N U O I A F MA H G N I MR I BWQ I Z I Z K V J B QH K L C E L D T ANCSICJUR Z HO A CS VU C L S R G TOZARFYY Z P E DG Y F z H H S N DYQT H Z EWO Y U N VR U F S Z N B KC A U F YZ J F H J C C J MO J MWU XU E J L B I I P KNM L B P I S S T K T R LWN E D E . B S E B K Y C AM Y H Z E P RT - V K A M BO D ABC RA E P S YRQ N CCG D N X A T K F T DC P R E S A YCX VH V F I E G X V DQ J L P L B L I S R RGX I F O B K J F U J D VH X N T RG R R P RE F M J G A A U V B U X K A KMS X I W T B

1. Vulcan spent 30 years here after leaving the 8. Site of the 1904 World's Fair World's Fair 9. Vulcan is the largest iron statue in 2. Vulcan's mythological mother the world 3. Vulcan's mythological father 10. Vulcan's height 4. Birmingham's nickname 11. Item Vulcan now holds in his right hand 5. The sculptor who created our statue of Vulcan 12. Vulcan's estimated weight 6. Vulcan's current home 13. Item Vulcan originally held in his right hand 7. Vulcan is the god of the forge

Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! QUESTIONS

When was Birmingham founded? At what Birmingham foundry was Vulcan cast?

What kind of a city was it founded to be? Of what iron is Vulcan made?

Who created Vulcan? Where was the iron ore from which Vulcan was made mined? When? In what month were the final pieces of Vulcan shipped to St. Louis? Why?

Where was Vulcan exhibited at the World's Fair? Who was Vulcan?

How large was this Palace? Who sculpted him?

What was at his feet? How long did the sculptor have?

Were Vulcan's ribs showing? What was the World's Fair exhibit trying to widely promote? How long did it take to make Vulcan? What are these resources? How was Vulcan popularized at the fair? Who sponsored the exhibit? How many visitors attended the World's Fair in St. Louis? Where did Moretti make the plaster model for the statue? How did the Commercial Club finance the cost of creating Vulcan? Was Vulcan made in a single piece?

From 1906 to the early 1930s, what was Vulcan's Can a carriage pass through Vulcan's legs? Birmingham home?

By what transportation did Vulcan arrive Was Vulcan correctly assembled here? for casting?

What uses did he serve during those early years? What piece of Vulcan arrived first in St. Louis?

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! ^ Where is Vulcan Park located? What is creating Vulcan's crack up?

Describe the original Vulcan tower. What is the preferred approach for restoring the statue? Did it fit into the natural setting? Will this tear up the park? What did Vulcan hold aloft in his hand at completion of the tower? Has such an armature been tried before?

What were the principal features of the Does the original Vulcan Tower remain? 1930s park? Does the original cascade remain? Who was Vulcan's sweetheart? Can an elevator and a staircase be fitted into the What was the principal reason Vulcan Park original Vulcan tower? became a major tourist destination? How many stairs are there in the tower Where did the stone for the Vulcan tower staircase? come from? Would a visitor center enhance and improve our Who coordinated the original mountaintop park understanding of Vulcan and of the city? construction and when did it occur?

As the statue was put into place on the top of the tower, with what was it filled?

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! GLOSSARY

BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT- a geographic area HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING defined initially by geological discoveries and subse­ RECORD (HAER) - This Washington D. C. based quently by the location of industries that exploited branch of the U. S. Park Service conducts profes­ these minerals located by geologists. These minerals sional documentation of significant American sites. include the coal, iron ore and limestone used to make Teams of historians, architects and photographers iron and steel. This area now includes Bibb, Jefferson, research and develop photographs, drawings and his­ Shelby, Tuscaloosa and Walker Counties. tories of those sites. Working with the Birmingham BIRMINGHAM STEEL AND IRON Historical Society, HAER teams recorded the Vulcan COMPANY-The McWane family firm that cast the statue and the 1930s park during 1993 and 1994. statue of Vulcan in 1903 and 1904. This foundry was IRON - 1. the principal product of Birmingham located at 14 Street near First Avenue North. industry. Birmingham established its niche as CAST IRON PIPE - major use of Birmingham's America's premier foundry iron producer. At its iron; since 1900 Birmingham has been the world's peak in 1940, Birmingham produced 40 percent of cast iron pipe center. Pipe is currently made at US America's foundry iron. By the time of the St. Louis Pipe in Bessemer and at US Pipe, ACIPCO and World's Fair, the Sloss company was America's lead­ McWane in North Birmingham. Cast iron pipe is ing producer of iron and America had ascended to used for waste and water systems. world prominence in iron and steel making. 2. cast iron: made from raw materials: iron ore, coal and COAL- a black mineral extensively mined in this limestone. U.S. Steel's Fairfield Works makes iron area from two major fields, the Warrior and Cahaba from raw materials. 3. ductile iron: made from scrap Coal Fields, named for the rivers through which the metal. Most mini-mills and many foundries make iron fields are drained; coal, converted to coke, is used as from scrap. fuel for ironmaking and other industrial processes, IRON ORE - the mineral from which iron (and then especially power generation. The Birmingham District remains a top 20 American coal producer steel) is made. with extensive surface and underground mines IRON PELLETS - the form by which iron is in operation. currently prepared for furnace use. COKE - 1. the fuel for ironmaking, and other indus­ LIMESTONE - mineral used as flux in the ironmak­ trial processes; 2. substance derived from heating coal; ing process and to build Vulcan's tower. 3. Birmingham is a major site for the production of LONE PINE GAP - natural cut in the mountain coke, with cokeworks located at Tarrant, Fairfield, at the site of Vulcan Park. Woodward and Holt; markets for coke include LONE PINE MINE NO. 3 - red ore mine located Birmingham area and midwestern industries. beneath Vulcan Park, operated by T.C.I. (Tennessee COLOSSUS - plural, colossi, ancient statues of stu­ Coal and Iron Company, the southern subsidiary of pendous, incredible, astonishing or exceptional size U. S. Steel) during 1907 and 1908. or height. MARSHALL, R. S. - Superintendent of COMMERCIAL CLUB - group of Birmingham Birmingham Parks and Recreation Department who businessmen who championed the campaign to designed and assisted with construction of Vulcan represent Birmingham and Alabama at the St. Louis Park in the 1930s. World's Fair with a colossal statue of iron: Vulcan; MINERAL RAILROAD - The Red Gap Branch the club later became the Greater Birmingham Area of this 16-mile railroad that extended from Trussville Chamber of Commerce. to Bessemer, accessing red ore mines located along FURNACES- vessels in which ore is heated and the northern flank of Red Mountain; active at Vulcan melted and transformed into a liquid substance; from the 1880s to the 1930s; right-of-way remains; "blast" furnaces, so called for the blast of air which mineral railroad loop fed ore to furnaces located in continually fires the furnaces. the valley beneath Birmingham.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! ^ MORETTI, GIUSEPPE - Italian immigrant SLOSS FURNACES - 1. historic iron-producing sculptor who created the Vulcan statue; his American furnaces. 2. the Sloss company operated as the world's career included major work in Pittsburgh, New York, largest producer of iron in certain years at the time of Nashville and other cities across the Northeast. the casting of the Vulcan statue. OLD MONTGOMERY HIGHWAY - major North- SLOSS FURNACES NATIONAL HISTORIC South automobile transportation route crossing LANDMARK - now a museum of the City of Alabama and connecting points in the state to the Birmingham open to visitors for historic interpreta­ Midwest and to Florida; became U.S. 31. tion of the iron industry and as a community center PIG IRON - iron named for its shape after being for concerts and other special events. poured from furnace. STEEL - glamour metal made from iron, exceedingly RED MOUNTAIN - A foothill of the Appalachian strong. Mountains rising 600 feet high and containing several VALLEY VIEW- red ore mine operated from c. 1903 seams of red iron ore. Mining of this ore at more than to the early 1920s; located just west of Vulcan Park; 100 mines, from the 1860s to 1960s, fueled the devel­ principally provided ore to furnaces in Tuscaloosa. opment of Birmingham's iron and steel industry. VENUS - Vulcan's mythological wife, given him by Vulcan is built atop the ore vein. The ore seam is his father, Jupiter, in gratitude for making him his visible at the top of the highway cut beneath the thunderbolts. statue. Erskine Ramsay placed a sign here pointing VIVE - French for long live . . .; also, vivacious: to the seam. long-lived, lively in temper. RESTORE/RESTORATION - to return to the orig­ VULCAN - 1. Roman god of iron and smithing inal state. One restores historic sites to their original (fire and metals written on his anvil block at the condition, which is generally also their periods of sig­ fair); 2. patron of the working man; 3. heroic statue nificance. For the Vulcan statue, this is the period of created by Birmingham commercial interests to adver­ the St. Louis World's Fair installation, 1904; for tise the city's industrial prowess at the St. Louis Vulcan Park, it is the park at the completion of the World's Fair, 1904; 4. major surviving artifact of that 1930s construction, i.e. the 1938 appearance. fair; 5. world's largest iron statue, second in size to RUFFNER MOUNTAIN NATURE PRESERVE - the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor; 6. symbol 600-acre wilderness park, located east of Vulcan Park of Birmingham's dominance in the foundry iron along the Red Mountain ridge, within the City of industry. Birmingham. Its mountainside trails pass many red VULCAN PARK - a five-acre mountaintop park ore pits and mining ruins; site known as the Ruffner located on Red Mountain, atop the ore vein that Red Ore Mines mined by the Sloss Furnaces company supported Birmingham industry; given to the City from the 1880s to the 1960s, a limestone quarry and of Birmingham in the 1930s and dedicated as a railroad beds are also located on the preserve. public park. ST. LOUIS WORLD'S FAIR - The world exposition WPA - The Works Progress Administration, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Louisiana a federally sponsored 1930s-Depression era program, Purchase held in St. Louis during 1904 and officially hired architects and artists to work on public called the St. Louis World Exposition. It attracted improvement projects, including providing the labor exhibits from across the world and 20 million visitors. to build the original Vulcan Park. The Italians who This eight-month, international mega-convention, built the Vulcan Monument, cascades, walks and industrial trade show, scientific and artistic gathering staircases also worked for the state highway depart­ included the first Olympics in America. The ment building roads and drainage systems. Olympics were a minor part of the fair. Ice cream cones and iced tea were first introduced to the American public at this event. The statue of Vulcan remains a major surviving artifact of this great fair.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! - - - - -~ < ------• r - - - -

n BIRMINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY fir VIVE VULCAN TABLE OF CONTENTS

Teacher Materials A. Overview D. Quiz & Answers B. Activity Ideas E. Word Search Key C. Questions & Answers F. Map of the Ancient World Key

Activities 1. The Resume of a Man of Iron 16. The Red Mountain Revival 2. Birmingham at the Turn 17. National Park Service of the 20th Century Documentation 3. The Big Idea 18. Restoring the Statue 4. The Art Scene 19. A Vision for Vulcan 5. Time Line 20. American Landmarks 6. Colossi of the Ancient World 21. Tallest American Monument 7. Map of the Ancient World 22. Vulcan's Global Family 8. Vulcan's Family 23. Quiz 9. Moretti to the Rescue 24. Word Search 10. Recipe for Sloss No. 2 25. Questions Pig Iron 26. Glossary 11. The Foundrymen's Challenge 27. Pedestal Project 12. Casting the Colossus 28. Picture Page, 13. Meet Me in St. Louis The Birmingham News-Age Herald, 14. Triumph at the Fair Sunday, October 31, 1937 15. Vital Stats

On rhe cover: VULCAN AT THE FAIR. Missouri Historical Society 1035; photographer: Dept. Of Mines & Metallurgy, 1904, St. Louis, Missouri. Cast of iron in Birmingham, Vulcan served as the Birmingham and Alabama exhibit for the St. Louis World's Fair. As god of the forge, he holds a spearpoint he has just made on his anvil. The spearpoint is of polished steel. In a gesture of triumph, the colossal smith extends his arm upward. About his feet, piles of mineral resources extol Alabama's mineral wealth and its capability of making colossal quantities of iron, such as that showcased in the statue, and of steel (as demonstrated with the spearpoint). Vulcan represents the materialistic qualities of mankind, the head of Christ cast in white Alabama marble and placed in front of the statue represents man's spiritual nature. Sculptor Moretti supervised the installation, smoothing rough castings and finishing the statue to a rich patina. (The statue should be restored to this 1904 condition.) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This publication was made possible by many individuals and institutions:

Birmingham Historical Society's Vulcan and His Times by Philip A. Morris, author; Marjorie L. White, editor, served as cornerstone for this volume.

Marjorie L. White, editor

Beverly Miller, Advent Day School teacher, her students and Abbey Miller, activity planning

Martha Boyer, Jefferson County Schools, lesson planning

Carolanne Roberts, Resume of an Iron Man

John Schnorrenberg, research on colossi

Karyn Emison, researcher, lesson planning

Scott Fuller, illustrator and graphic designer

Proofreaders: Cathy Adams, Lee Brewer, Ashani Morgan, Rhonda Dowling, Karyn Emison, Hugh Rushing, Joe Strickland

Vive Vulcan Committee, review, comment and distribution: Lillie S.M. Fincher, Chairman; Robbie Weeks, Annette Lanier, Bessemer Schools; Dr. Waymon Shiver, Sadie Denson, Otis Dismukes, Birmingham School System; Mike Hathorne, Regina Thompson, Homewood Schools; Jo Wiseman, Hoover Schools; Martha Boyer, Dr. Gloria Denard, Jefferson County Schools; Lisa Beckham, Linda Church, Paulette Williams, Shelby County; Dr. Fred Perkins, Tarrant; Carol Slaughter, Abby Miller, Beverly Miller, Karyn Emison, Marjorie White, Birmingham Historical Society.

The Lesson Plan was developed in conjunction with the Jefferson County 4-MAT Teacher Lesson Planning Workshop, coordinated by Martha Boyer.

Original Limited Edition, 1999 Birmingham Historical Society

Birmingham Historical Society is a private non-profit corporation. The mission of the Society is to contribute to the quality of life in Birmingham by preserving, learning from and celebrating its past while helping to shape its future.

For information on membership or to purchase copies of VULCAN & HIS TIMES and other Society publications, please contact the Society's offices at Duncan House located on the grounds of Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark.

Birmingham Historical Society One Sloss Quarters, Birmingham, Alabama, 35222 Telephone: 205-251-1880

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! OVERVIEW R

Students present Teacher shows projects to class symbols relevant or other classes; to subject matter students dress or age of as Vulcan for student \. a class party Students Students discuss project reflect on the with teacher and meaning of symbols begin work. Continue & their effects group project. on daily life. OVERVIEW Groups of students Students imagine plan an original a world without project about symbols; or, think Vulcan. of results of (Ideas attached.) removing a / ~ry Students Teacher specific one. / M\ complete the lectures on word search, specific subject. and or activity (See background geared to subject materials which might matter. be helpful for various subjects.)

Title Vulcan: A Symbol Worth Saving Grade Level Adaptable Subject Adaptable Authors Karyn Emison and Beverly Miller Concept Symbols Duration One to four weeks, depending upon culminating activities Objective To introduce the idea that Vulcan is a symbol of our city and deserves our help Required resources Attached supplementary material QUADRANT 1 LEFT MODE RIGHT MODE - Make a connection Objective: Students will reflect individually on the Objective: Students will be aware of the importance of importance of symbols. symbols. Activity: Students list symbols they find important in Activity: The teacher displays or draws images of var­ their daily lives. Students also begin a daily ious symbols. The symbols may be geared to log in which they write down their thoughts the specific subject matter, i.e., punctuation about Vulcan throughout the unit. marks in English or mathematical symbols Evaluation: Students share their lists with the class. The for math. (Other suggestions for more gen­ teacher categorizes the symbols on the eral symbols: peace sign, Nike swoosh, board. Olympic rings, U.S. flag & eagle, cross, or see p. 20 of attachments.) If the teacher wishes to define "symbol," some possible meanings are: something that stands for or suggests something else, especially a visible sign of something invisible; an object hav­ ing cultural significance and the ability to elicit a response. Evaluation: Students participate in a class discussion on the meanings of the symbols. Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! QUADRANT 2 LEFT MODE RIGHT MODE Objective: Students will learn important facts about Objective: Students will agree that symbols are impor­ Vulcan. tant. Activity: The teacher lectures on Vulcan, using the Activity: The teacher leads a discussion on what the appropriate attached material to gear the world would be like without any symbols. lecture to the subject matter and to the stu­ Or, the discussion can center around the dents' ability level. consequences of the removal of a particular Evaluation: The teacher randomly selects students to symbol. The teacher may also wish to dis­ check their understanding of the facts pre­ play an image of Vulcan at this point. sented in the lecture. Evaluation: Students participate in class discussion.

QUADRANT 3 LEFT MODE RIGHT MODE Objective: Students will use their knowledge of Vulcan Objective: Students will develop an idea for an original to complete various activities. Vulcan project. Activity: Students complete attached Vulcan word Activity: Students, either individually or in small search, or another relevant activity. The groups, choose one of the following projects: teacher may also use the attached list of 1) imagine you're on top of Vulcan and questions and answers about Vulcan to play make a poster or mural of what the city "Vulcan Trivial Pursuit" with the class. looks like below; 2) make a model of Evaluation: The teacher uses the accuracy of students' Vulcan; 3) write a descriptive paragraph, a work to gauge their mastery of the facts. poem, or a song about Vulcan; 4) create a newscast that chronicles Vulcan's history. Students may also wish to design their own original projects. (Also see attached list of additional ideas, including fundraising activities.) Evaluation: The teacher gauges the students' involve­ ment in planning a project. QUADRANT 4 LEFT MODE RIGHT MODE - Culminating Activity Objective: The students begin work on their projects. Objective: Students share and celebrate their knowl­ Activity: Each group or individual meets with the edge of Vulcan. teacher to get the projects approved. Activity: Students present their projects to the class Evaluation: The teacher gives necessary guidance and and have a class party with a Vulcan theme. students begin their work. Students may choose to dress in turn-of-the- century costumes. The teacher may want to arrange an in-school field trip as well. Evaluation: The teacher assesses the quality of the stu­ dents' projects.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! ACTIVITIES IDEAS (Keyed to Activity Pages) Mrs. Miller's Advent Day School 4th Qrade Class, Spring 1999 SCIENCE: (See activity pages 10, 12, 15, 21) Discuss the problem of the diffetences in the expansion and conttaction tates of the conctete and iton that ate causing the problem. Design a science project involving putting conctete and iton in the fteezet, out in the sun, etc., and examining the changes in each. Study the manufactuting processes fot iton and steel, as well as conctete. Detetmine how many pounds of ptessute Vulcan exetts on the base. Investigate how Vulcan is able to stay up duting stomas without blowing ovet. Research the teasons Vulcan was filled with conctete. Design bettet ways to affix Vulcan to his base.

LANGUAGE ARTS: (See activity pages 18, 19) Write a composition describing ideas of how Vulcan could be fixed. Write a petsuasive lettet to the mayot describing the need to help Vulcan and the ways this can be done. Design an ad campaign to rescue Vulcan. Give a prize fot the best slogan. Examples: "Vulcan is Ctacking Up;" "If We Lose Vulcan, We'll Be Sulkin." Put the winning slogan on T-shirts. Interview people about theit first impressions of Vulcan. (Ask older people about their memories of him as children, etc.) Create a book of these oral histories involving Vulcan. Create a comic strip, with Vulcan as the main character, describing his plight. Write a letter to the editor of the paper explaining the need to save Vulcan. Write letters to the principals of other schools telling them how our school is involved, asking them to join in. Write a poem about Vulcan's history and problems. Create a Vulcan trivia game. Write and act out a play about Vulcan the statue, or Vulcan the Roman god. Write a petition outlining Vulcan's needs and what should be done, and get as many signatures as you can. Send it to the mayor. Have a contest to see who can get the most signatures. Write letters to famous and influential people you know generating their interest and asking for their help. Write a poem about Vulcan and his problems. Write and deliver a speech explaining why and how to save Vulcan. Write a biography of Moretti.

MATH: (See activity pages 1, 15, 21) Study ratio, proportion and weight. Make a scale model of Vulcan.

MYTHOLOGY: (See activity pages 6, 8, 22) Study Vulcan's role in Roman mythology. Study Vulcan's mythological family. Research other mythological statuary.

Birmingham Historical Society o^^V VIVE VULCAN! GEOGRAPHY: (See activity page 17) • Map Vulcan Park. • Explore Red Mountain. • Map the St. Louis World's Fair.

ART: (See activity pages 4, 15) • Make a clay model of Vulcan, or one "before" and one "after." • Make posters to put up around school, community, etc., to enlist help for Vulcan. • Make posters to send to other schools. • Take photographs of Vulcan and compare to past photos. • Make a photo collage of Vulcan pictures. • Draw or paint pictures of Vulcan. • Paint T-shirts with pictures of Vulcan. • Have a Vulcan photography or painting contest and put the winning entry on a T-shirt or poster. • Make a scrapbook of drawings, articles and photos of Vulcan. • Create a Vulcan bulletin board collage. • Paint hats or create hats with model Vulcans on top. • Make puppets and write a puppet show depicting Vulcan's troubles. • Make videos of Vulcan's history or problems. • Use the computer to design a flyer publicizing Vulcan's need for help. Distribute in the school and community.

CIVICS OR ECONOMICS: Lots of ideas for items to make and sell or fund-raising ideas: • Car wash. • Bake sale. • Book marks. • Just go around collecting $! • Make and sell Beanie Baby T-shirts with Vulcan's picture on them. • WWJD type bracelets with a slogan about Vulcan instead. • Pencils with a "Save Vulcan" slogan. • Contact Hitachi, our sister city in Japan, for help and publicity. • Get your church involved. • Have a Vulcan party and charge admission. • Have a raffle and sell tickets.

HISTORY: (See activity pages 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20) • Study symbols of other cities and how they have been preserved. • Research the history of the iron and steel industries in our city and why Vulcan is here. • Study the life of Giuseppe Moretti. • Research exactly how Vulcan was made. • Make a time line of Vulcan's life with a "?" at the end.

ALL CLASSES: • Start a campaign to have every child in the city bring change to help Vulcan. • Have a costume day when everyone designs and wears a Vulcan costume. • Develop a culminating activity to share with other classes, the press and perhaps the general public.

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

When was Birmingham founded? By what transportation did Vulcan arrive 1871 for casting? EN train What kind of a city was it founded to be? Iron and steel center What piece of Vulcan arrived first in St. Louis? A leg Who created Vulcan? The Birmingham Commercial Club (Chamber At what Birmingham foundry was Vulcan cast? of Commerce) Birmingham Steel & Iron - the McWane foundry When? Of what iron is Vulcan made? 1903-1904 Sloss No. 2 pig iron Why? Where was the iron ore from which Vulcan was To send a symbol of Birmingham and its resources made mined? and industry to the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 Red Mountain Who was Vulcan? In what month were the final pieces of Vulcan Roman god of the forge, a smith who made shipped to St. Louis? everything the mythological gods needed April 1904 Who sculpted him? Where was Vulcan exhibited at the World's Fair? Giuseppe Moretti Palace of Mines and Metallurgy How long did the sculptor have? How large was this Palace? 4 months Nine acres What was the World's Fair exhibit trying to What was at his feet? widely promote? Mounds of mineral resources; coal, iron ore Birmingham and its industrial resources and limestone What are these resources? Were Vulcan's ribs showing? Coal, coke, iron, limestone No, sculptor Moretti applied a finish coat of plaster for this presentation at the fair Who sponsored the exhibit? The Commercial Club How long did it take to make Vulcan? 4 months Where did Moretti make the plaster model for the statue? How was Vulcan popularized at the fair? Passaic, New Jersey, in an unfinished church; his Vulcan statuettes sold for $2 each New York studio was not big enough How many visitors attended the World's Fair in Was Vulcan made in a single piece? St. Louis? No, 21 pieces 20,000,000 Can a carriage pass through Vulcan's legs? How did the Commercial Club finance the cost Yes of creating Vulcan? Opera performances by Moretti, Vulcan statuettes, and other public events and contributions

Birmingham Historical Society e VIVE VULCAN! From 1906 to the early 1930s, what was Vulcan's Who coordinated the original mountaintop park Birmingham home ? construction and when did it occur? Alabama State Fairgrounds Kiwanis Club leaders, 1934-1938 Was Vulcan correctly assembled there? As the statue was put into place on the top of No, the arms were misassembled. No historic the tower, with what was it filled to ballast it? documentation guided the difficult assembly Concrete What uses did he serve during those early years? What is creating Vulcan's crack up? The promotion of ice cream, overalls and ketchup; Disparity in expansion rates between iron and lost and found for children concrete. Also, water held by concrete weakens and rusts the statue Where is Vulcan Park located? At the corner of Valley Avenue and 20th Street What is the preferred approach for restoring South on Red Mountain the statue? To remove it in pieces, remove the concrete with Describe the original Vulcan tower. solvent, recast ruined pieces and replace concrete Stone with well-draining steel framework/armature Did it fit into the natural setting? Will this tear up the park? Yes Yes, quite a bit. Road construction and cranes will What did Vulcan hold aloft in his hand be necessary for the take-down at completion of the tower? Has such an armature been tried before? A new spear point, the original one was lost en Yes, Statue of Liberty route home from the World's Fair Does the original Vulcan Tower remain? What were the principal features of the Yes, behind the marble cladding 1930s park? A natural landscape built from the rock of the Does the original cascade remain? mountain, views of and from Vulcan, cascades, Hopefully open observation deck, tower in proportion to Can an elevator and a staircase be fitted into the Vulcan himself; right on major paved highway original Vulcan tower? Who was Vulcan's sweetheart? Yes Electra, atop the Alabama Power Company How many stairs are there in the tower Building staircase? What was the principal reason Vulcan Park 157 became a major tourist destination? Would a visitor center enhance and improve our Vulcan was on the major U.S. highway, old understanding of Vulcan and of the city? U.S. 31—20th Street, the only all-paved four-lane Yes highway in Alabama Where did the stone for the Vulcan tower come from? Quarries opened for construction of U.S. 31, cut by Italian masons

Birmingham Historical Society VIVE VULCAN! QUIZ & ANSWERS

The mythological god, Vulcan is the R O M A N god of T H E FORGE. A SMITH by profession, his SMITHY was located on the Sicilian Island of MX AETNA. Here, he and the CYCLOPES made EVERYTHING for THE GODS. His father JUPITER was so pleased with the THUNDERBOLTS Vulcan created that he gave his son VENUS to be his wife.

The (original) statue of Vulcan This statue depicts a male figure, his left foot forward and his right arm uplifted holding a SPEARPOINT. His left hand holds a HAMMER. He wears sandals and is clothed (in the tradition of classical sculpture) with a blacksmith's APRON. He is standing at an ANVIL block. His gesture indicates a mood of TRIUMPH. He is proud to have just CREATED STEEL

Birth/Creation Birmingham's Vulcan was created by the city's BUSINESS leaders to promote the city to the WORLD. Vulcan served as Alabama's EXHIBIT at the 1904 (date) WORLDS Fair in ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Materials used in the statue Vulcan is made of IRON. The metal is made from IRON ORE heated in furnaces such as the SLOSS FURNACES (now closed and a National Historic Landmark). COAL and limestone are also needed to make IRON. (Steel is made from this metal.) Birmingham has these minerals in ABUNDANCE. The City of Birmingham was established to mine these minerals and to make iron and steel products. That manufac­ turing industry formed the economic reason for the city's founding in 1871.

Cast from IRON ore in a BIRMINGHAM foundry, the statue was designed by an ITALIAN (nationality) sculptor named GIUSEPPE MQRETTL He used an unfinished CHURCH in Passaic, New Jersey, to build the PLASTER cast from which the statue was made. Birmingham Historical Society ©^^ ^ VIVE VULCAN! WORD SEARCH KEY

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1. Vulcan spent 30 years here after leaving the 8. Site of the 1904 World's Fair World's Fair 9. Vulcan is the largest iron statue in 2. Vulcan's mythological mother the world 3. Vulcan's mythological father 10. Vulcan's height 4. Birmingham's nickname 11. Item Vulcan now holds in his right hand 5. The sculptor who created our statue of Vulcan 12. Vulcan's estimated weight 6. Vulcan's current home 13. Item Vulcan originally held in his right hand 7. Vulcan is the god of the forge

Courtesy Beverly and Abbey Miller Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! MAP OF THE ANCIENT WORLD KEY

INSTRUCTIONS: Place names below in appropriate locations on the map.

A. Mediterranean Sea Colossi B. Rome, Italy C. Athens, Greece 1. Colossi of Memnon D. Mt. Olympus, Macedonia 2. Colossi of Ramesses II (home of the mythological gods) 3. Colossus of Rhodes E. Mt. Aetna (on a volcanic isle off Sicily) 4. Athena Parthenos F. Rhodes (on the isle of) Crete 5. Heracles G. Thebes (Luxor) Egypt 6. Constantine The Great H. Tarentum

boundary of the Roman Empire

Birmingham Historical Society o VIVE VULCAN! VIVE VULCAN! PEDESTAL PROJECT l|P~ffiS;

Restore Vulcan and his pedestal

Place the 1904 statue from the St. Louis World's Fair on top of his 1936 Red Mountain monument.

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Vulcan, the ancient god of iron, atop Birmingham's Red Mountain Wmat the Montgomery Highway entrance to Jones Valley, is a symbol of the past progress and the future possibilities of the district. Vulcan is a beacon guide to ail travelers who pass this way. From the lowly ignominy of a creature scorned and neglected, and kept in obscurity by the high wooden fence which screens the State Fair Grounds, the figure of Vulcan, for the first time its creation in 1903, has been accorded a setting for which it was designed by the noted | Italian sculptor, Guiseppe Moretti. Lifted to a pedestal 110 feet high, the huge proportions of Vulcan can now be seen from the perspective from which he was intended to be viewed. The figure of Vulcan himself is 55 feet high—America's second largest figure. Vulcan's rise from obscurity has given Birmingham a show place second to none in the South. When the plans of the Kiwanis Club, which sponsored the Vulcan Park project, are complete, the entire area atop Red Mountain will be one of the breathtaking sights of the country, The construction of the pedestal and the erection of the figure was accomplished through the cooperation of the City of Birmingham, the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company and the Works Progress Ad­ ministration. A grant of $44,065 from the federal government enabled the basic work to be done. The Tennessee Company granted a deed to the crest property on Red Mountain. jt|UJR* In 1903 James Arthur McKnight, president of the old Commercial Club of Birmingham, asked Guiseppe Moretti to submit several designs for a huge statue to be made of Alabama iron, which would be shown at the St. Louis Exposition. At the outset Moretti was faced with the ques­ tion which has caused arguments down to the present day. Shouldl Vulcan be the rugged, misshapen creature of mythology, or should he be Above: BACK TO BIRMINGHAM, the giant figure wa. Above: TO THE FAIRGROUNDS went the made more handsome? shipped after the exposition, and thrown unceremoniously oft giant, and behind the high board fence Moretti decided not to beautify Vulcan, but to make a grim likeness the freight cars onto Red Mountain, where, for many long Vulcan became a fixture at the State Fair. of him. The subsequent history of the iron figure approximates the un­ months he lay rusting. happy life of the god, who was derided for his physical imperfections by the celestial beings who peopled ancient Olympus. Mythology has it that Vulcan, though the son of Jupiter and Juno, was deformed at birth, which so displeased his mother that she had him thrown out of heaven. All descriptions picture Vulcan as lame, awkward and grimy. Later legend has it that his wife, Aphrodite, gave the god's lameness as a reason for her unfaithfulness to him.

Only during the time of the St. Louis Exposition in 1904, did the statue know the honor and dignity that should have been bestowed upon this craftsman of antiquity. It was intended, after the exposition, to mount Vulcan on a pedestal atop Red Mountain, so the dismembered god was hauled to the crest of the mountain and dumped uncere­ moniously from the flat cars on the old L. & N. mineral tracks. Though many efforts were made at that time to have the statue reassembled and placed into position, nothing came of them, and for many years Vulcan lay rusting amongst the blackberry bushes of the mountain. Right: VULCAN Then, his friends believe, indignity 'was added to injustice, and the LOO KS DOWN iron god was brought down from the heights where he belonged (has it now from consider­ Above: VULCAN not been said that history repeats itself?) and his feet chained in the able height, and COMPLETED. In his valley at the State Fair Grounds. There, for years, he towered ma­ every car that studios, Giuseppe Mo­ jestically above prize porkers'and perfect pickles, and through neglected climbs Red Moun­ retti, poses with his days was the nesting place of birds. tain faces into the workers before the monument as indi­ giant figure of Vulcan. cated in this view. This first view of Bir­ Visiting cars are mingham's iron mon­ notably more nu­ ster was made prior merous since the to the St. Louis Expo­ figure has been sition of 1904. Moretti completed, and Vul­ is seen in . Vulcan's can is already call­ throatoit. The sculp­ ing to tourists from tor did not Ttve to see •av*^y part at the his famous work ele­ nation. vated to its proper place on Red Moun­ tain, but reports are, that after his return to Italy, he frequently made inquiry about the disposition of Vul­ can and regretted the statue's neglect. Left: THE AWK­ WARD GOD has finally ach i e v e d respect and honor above the moun­ tain that gave him birth. Long may he stand, a lesson to all, that every man should keep his head in the clouds. When properly lighted, Vulcan will be as impressive by Right: VULCAN AT night as by day, a THE ST. LOUIS EX­ constant pride of POSITION. This every citizen. hitherto unpublished ^^£ ^gW^ picture was made at the World's Fair by a Birmingham woman, Mrs. H. G. Brabston. Located in the center of the exhibit of the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company, Vulcan towered over the engines in Hall of Mechanics, and left a great impression on the visitors. Mrs. Brab­ ston offers this pic­ ture from her album in the interest of Vul- cania. We are happy to reproduce it fpr the first time.

Picture Page from Right: TO TED JOY Birmingham goes most Above: WHEN VULCAN was being dismantled for his final journey to Red Below: VULCAN BACK ON RED MOUNTAIN. After many years, Mountain, his arm fell and workmen narrowly missed death from the gargantuan the clean and polished figure is transported to the mountain, ready for credit for bulldogging the Vive Vulcan! arm. This picture by The News staff photographer was snapped just after the elevation to the pedestal. Comparative size of humans and the part new Vulcan project accident. The arm was not damaged in the all. of Vulcan can be ascertained from these views. through to completion ur Activities for Schools der greatest handicap. Presented by the ifas6iBftN6Btf i BIRMINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY W # in support of our city symbol, 1999 1> v Left: THE Newspaper courtesy, Birmingham Public Library SCAFFOLDING is made ready around Department of Archives and Manuscripts the concrete ribs Workmen surrounded these forms with Red Mountain sandstone, and Vul­ can was elevated to top of the structure. Work proceeded slowly at this stage of construction, but engineers took no chances against possible natural disturbances.