A reunion for Hermon and Jo Davidson and John Gregory. Post #2
ByNOTE: This highlights part of an earlier Feb. 15, 2021 article:
1927 Pioneer Woman ~ Ponca City, OK ~ E.W. Marland
Bryant Baker’s Entry
Was a reunion for Hermon and Jo and John Gregory.
A. Sterling Calder H.A. MacNeil Jo Davidson
“Self-Reliant” “Challenging” “Trusting”
In 1927 wealthy oilman E. W. Marland of Ponca City, Oklahoma invited a dozen American sculptors to compete for a commission to create a statue to honor the Pioneer Woman.
Each artist was to submit a two-foot bronze model for the monument, which was to express, in Marland’s words,
“the spirit of the pioneer woman—a tribute to all women of the sunbonnet everywhere.”
PROTECTIVE by John Gregory
MODELS: Marland’s selection of that dozen sculptors became something of a reunion for Jo Davidson[1] and Hermon MacNeil and John Gregory (an earlier assistant with Davidson in MacNeil’s studio). Others invited were invited included James Earle Fraser, Bryant Baker, and A. Stirling Calder. Each of the dozen were paid $10,000 to produce a bronze two-foot statue model with the winner to be determined by public vote.
TOUR: The models were sent on a six-month tour of several U.S. cities, from New York and Boston to Minneapolis and Fort Worth and Chicago. Tens of thousands of ballots were cast, and Baker’s model “Confident” won by a margin of nearly two to one. Neither MacNeil or his two previous students won the commission.
Bryant Baker’s entry won the final comission by a wide margin of ballots. Each artist submitted a two-foot bronze model for the monument, which was to express, in Marland’s words, “the spirit of the pioneer woman—a tribute to all women of the sunbonnet everywhere.”
Meanwhile, JO DAVIDSON struck OIL with E. W. Marland …
Jo Davidson charmed E. W. Marland so that he built a permanent studio for the sculptor in Ponca City.
While Jo declined moving there permanently, but did spent weeks there completing statues of E. W., his daughter, Lyde standing holding a large garden bonnet; and son, George, in boots and riding breeches. He also carved in marble the seated figure of E.W. Marland which remains outside the museum a century later.
After completing the sculptures, E. W. Marland took Jo on a trip to California and back to New York in his private railroad car the “Ponca City.” Jo wrote letters to Yvonne during the two-week excursion. Jo met E. W.’s friends, and E.W. met Jo’s friends. “The Trip, one of the richest experiences of my life, eventually was over, and I set out for Europe where political developments were moving at a rapid pace.” [Between Sittings…, pp. 210-220.]
MORE PHOTOS FROM THE WOOLROC MUSEUM . . .
