This icon of Hartford, Connecticut, which stands in sight of the state capitol is a Gothic style arch, composed of two medieval towers joined by a classical frieze. The south frieze tells the story of peace. A female allegorical figure represents the City of Hartford. Her citizens gathered to welcome returning soldiers home. On the opposite side which can't be seen in this photograph, the north frieze tells the story of war, with on the right, a figure of General Grant surveying his troops and on the left, marines jumping from a boat to rush the Confederates.
Symbols identifying the four services are in the spandrels: the anchor for the Navy, the crossed cannon for the Artillery, crossed sabers for the Cavalry, and crossed rifles for the Infantry. Six figures--a farmer, blacksmith, mason, student, carpenter, and African-American male breaking the chains of bondage--are placed in niches on the towers. Each tower is topped by a bronze angel, one playing a trumpet, the other cymbals.
The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch is a notable memorial to the American Civil War. It was the first permanent triumphal arch in the United States, and honors the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the war, and the 400 who died for the Union.
The arch's first conception dates from October 21, 1879, when a committee was formed, with a competition sponsored in 1881. Commission was eventually given to architect George Keller. It was dedicated on September 17, 1886. The tower statues (completed 1894) were carved by Swiss-born sculptor Albert Entress (1846-1926). Total cost was about $60,000. When the arch was rehabilitated in 1986–1988, its original terra cotta finial angels were replaced by the current bronze angels.
The arch is made of brownstone from Portland, Connecticut, in Gothic Revival style, and composed of two medieval towers joined by a classical frieze. The north frieze, by Samuel James Kitson, tells the story of war, with on the right, a figure of General Ulysses S. Grant surveying his troops and on the left, marines jumping from a boat to rush the Confederates. The south frieze, by Caspar Buberl, tells the story of peace, with a central female allegorical figure representing the City of Hartford, surrounded by her citizens welcoming soldiers home. Both were fabricated by the Boston Terra Cotta Company.
The ashes of architect Keller and his wife Mary are interred in the tower.
A tablet on the southeast tower reads:
IN HONOR
OF THE MEN OF HARTFORD
WHO SERVED
AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELL
ON LAND AND ON SEA
IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION
THEIR GRATEFUL TOWNSMEN
HAVE RAISED THIS MEMORIAL
The southwest tablet reads:
DURING THE CIVIL WAR
1861–1865
MORE THAN 4,000 MEN OF HARTFORD
BORE ARMS IN THE NATIONAL CAUSE
NEARLY 400 OF WHOM
DIED IN THE SERVICE
ERECTED 1885
GEORGE KELLER, ARCHITECT
CASPER BUBERL & SAMUEL KITSON SCULPTORS
BOSTON
TERRA COTTA CO
1/1600 sec at f/2.5, ISO 50
Canon EOS 5D Mark III with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens at 50mm
I hope you enjoy today's J.W. Remington Photographics' Photo of the Day for March 19, 2018!
© 2018 J.W. Remington Photographics. All rights reserved.
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