Panama-Pacific International Exposition photographs of Alexander Stirling Calder sculptures

Table of Contents

Summary Information

Scope and content note

Administrative Information

Controlled Access Headings

Collection Inventory

Summary Information

Repository

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Title

Panama-Pacific International Exposition photographs of Alexander Stirling Calder sculptures

ID

4544

Date

1915

Extent

0.2 Linear feet ; 1 box

Author

Finding aid prepared by Sara Nash.

Language

English

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Scope and content note

This collection consists of seventy silver prints, each measuring about 3 x 5.5 inches, which document Alexander Stirling Calder's work on various sculpture groups, fountains, etc. for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915. The images depict the large-scale works Calder made for the event, including interior and exterior views of his studio, his many assistants, and details of the works themselves. Among them are relief sections, Star Maiden,  The Nations of the West, and  The Nations of the East.

A. S. Calder (1870-1945) was an artist from Philadelphia who is best known locally for creating the Swann Memorial Fountain at Logan Circle. His father was Alexander Milne Calder (1846-1923), renowned for his sculptures that adorn City Hall and its William Penn statue. Calder's son, Alexander "Sandy" Calder III (1898-1976) was an illustrator and sculptor known for his distinctive mobiles.

In 1885, Calder enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, studying first under Thomas Eakins and later under Thomas Anschutz. He furthered his studies in France at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. In 1892, he returned to Philadelphia and began his career as a professional sculptor. He is credited with assisting his father with the City Hall sculputures. Major works in the city include the Shakespeare Memorial and the Swann Memorial fountain, both at Logan Circle. Calder also produced the western figure for the Washington Square Arch in New York City, depicting George Washington as president along with Wisdom and Justice. Starting in 1912, he spent three years working under Karl Bitter as the acting chief of the sculpture program for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. He and his assistants produced three large sculpture groups for the exposition: The Nations of the East, which topped the Arch of the Rising Sun;  The Nations of the West, which topped the Arch of the Setting Sun, and  The Fountain of Energy. Additionally, he produced the  Star Maiden, cast in bronze, to adorn the Colonnade of Stars, which surrounded the Court of the Universe.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 Historical Society of Pennsylvania , 2024.

Access restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Provenance

Purchased, 2022.

Accession number 2022.066.

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Controlled Access Headings

Personal Name(s)

• Calder, Alexander Stirling, 1870-1945.

Subject(s)

• Artists--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--20th century.
• Outdoor sculpture--United States.
• Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.).
• Public sculpture, American--20th century.

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Collection Inventory