2024 October :: Hermon A. MacNeil

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Hermon MacNeil’s work on the Electricity Building – 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair ~~ Thanks, Jim Haas!

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A drawing of the Electricity Building as proposed in 1982

Hermon MacNeil’s statue, “Electricity”

became a theme to the Celebration.

This David-like male figure, classically modeled was fourteen-foot tall and clad in a cape. With the left arm is raised and the right held close by his side, a bolt of electricity flashes between two hand held poles.” Haas p.45

Only one fragmented photo of

Hermon MacNeil’s “Electricity”

has survived from 131 years ago.

Discovered by James Haas

and published in his book,

Hermon Atkins MacNeil: American Sculptor

… here is that retouched image.

The photo accredited to the American Academy of Arts and Letters was probably taken by MacNeil himself.

As posted previously in November 2021:

MacNeil, worked under Philip Martiny, who was sculpting the Electricity Building.

After proving himself on the edifice spandrels and ornamentals, he was assigned “two statuary figures” on the upper structure. The Electricity Building’s main entrance was dominated by an imposing statue of Benjamin Franklin. The exhibit was truly a celebration of the “modern” era of “Electricity.”

Jim Haas records how Hermon MacNeil contributed to the Celebration with an allegorical male statue representing “Electricity.”

Haas describes the result as … “Hermon’s classically modeled, David-like male figure; fourteen-foot, cape-clad Renaissance celebration of the human body. The figures left arm is raised with the right held close by his side as a bolt of electricity flashes between two hand held poles.” Haas p.45

Frank D. Millet, decorations director for the World’s Columbian Exposition, had approached

MacNeil with a project.

The Electricity Building needed a giant statue.

Both MacNeil’s statue and the

ELECTRICITY Building itself

were destroyed after the Fair closed.

The Electricity Building housed the Tower of Light, displays by Western Electric, General Electric, American Bell Telephone, Edison’s latest phonographs.

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