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.