WELCOME to the “Hermon A. MacNeil” — Virtual Gallery & Museum !
~ This Gallery celebrates my great Uncle, Hermon Atkins MacNeil an American classic sculptor of the Beaux Arts School. He sculpted Native images and American history: ~ World’s Fairs, statues, monuments, coins, and more… ~ Over 300 stories (25 per page) in 10 pages. (Click on Next Page >> at bottom). View thousands of photos from this virtual MacNeil Gallery. It stretches from New York to New Mexico ~ Oregon to S. Carolina. ~ 2016 marked the 150th Anniversary of Hermon MacNeil’s birth. ~ Hot-links ( lower right) lead to works by Hermon Atkins MacNeil. ~~Do you WALK or DRIVE by MacNeil sculptures DAILY! ~ TRAVEL DIGITALLY to my Uncle Hermon’s works here!
Daniel Neil Leininger, webmaster
DO YOU walk by MacNeil Statues and NOT KNOW IT ???
Albany, NY: This colorized post card of the 1912 “Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Albany, just blocks from the State Capitol shows the Rear view of that 22 foot Marble piece.
Eighty figures are sculpted in bas relief on the four sides of the tennessee marble. As previously posted, MacNeil named over a dozen women who served as Sculpture assistants in crafting the models for this monument in his College Point Studio. It is the the 2nd largest of his four Civil War Monuments.
1 Whitenville, Massachusetts, 1905. below ⇓and Right ⇒
Joel Rosenkranz shared notes naming people, all women, who assisted MacNeil in the creation of the Albany memorial as he sculpted the clay models at his Studio in College Point
Perhaps the he Drummer Boy has a feminine touch
Joel shared research notes listing Female names of Sculptor Assistants who worked on the model of the Albany Monument. [Source: 1922Oct16-AlbanyMem-HaasNotes ]
Joel states:
Some of the surnames will be familiar and maybe some of the given names as well. Their ages range from 21 to 46, which is an interesting span. I looked at the memorial and all the figures except the nine foot woman are men as far as I can tell. Do you think he used women as models for the soldiers and sailors? [Perhaps the Drummer Boy came from feminine hands and talents? dnl].
Here is a little about each if you ever plan to develop a story behind the piece.
He adds the following research into Hermon’scadreof feminine artists and neighbors:
Katherine Breck lived in the village Flushing to the south of College Point. She was 41 and the wife of George Breck, the artist who you undoubtedly know. In 1910 he was still in Rome.
Emily DeNeufville was the twenty-two year-old daughter of August who was a stockbroker and an artist as well. In time she married a gent named Colman Wynne.
Lena Schiiler (46) and Bianca Schiiler, (54) were both single women, teachers. I don’t think either ever married.
Mercy Clare is probably Mary Clair the 21 year-old daughter of Francis Clair who owned an insurance company and was an important man in the life of College Point. A politician as well, he lived next door to HAM.
The Bardenhauer women, Clara, 44, and Alvina, 46, also lived near him. The former was a teacher at Flushing H.S. , and after leaving a College Point elementary school, Alvina taught German in nearby Newtown H.S. in Elmhurst. It does not appear either ever married and Alvina died at the age of 81 in 1944.
In 1911 Irma Weitling18, was another assistant. Her father WilliamWeitling was head accountant at the Poppenhusen Rubber factory. In time he would become president only to die in a car accident in Florida in 1932.
Mrs. Edwin Charles was the wife of the artist/painter who you probably know. I found a few of his paintings via google and liked them.
Alice Clark was a 29 year-oild kindergarten teacher probably in College Point. She lived in the Graham Mansion, a storied piece of property about which I’ve written once owned by Captain Graham. Some said there were underground railroad tunnels under his property, but I don’t think there were.
There were a few women named Florence Tyler living in Queens, but without another a fact or two, I can’t say which one would have assisted Hermon MacNeil.
To these names given by Joel Rosenkranz, I would add another:
Carol Brooks MacNeil
Carol Brooks MacNeil as Hermon’s first female assistant, and sculptor-partner for life, she was always there. I imagine that she added clay modeling and teamwork skills to the efforts of these dozen women. Many hands completed the manifold tasks that produced this sparkling marble monument and over eighty bas relief figures.
Soldiers and Sailors’ Monument (reverse) in Washington Park, Albany NY
Hermon MacNeil’s Female Assistants for Albany Work
Alice Clark
Alvina Bardenhauer
Bianca Schiiler
Carol Brooks MacNeil
Clara Bardenhauer
Emily DeNeufville
Erma Weitling
Florence Tyler
Katherine Breck
Lena Schiiler
Mercy Clare
Mrs Edwin Charles
Related posts:
1912 Albany Honors Their Own (8.3) Celebrating Hermon MacNeil’s 159th Birthday Anniversary 1866-2025 Albany’s Civil War…
The greenery of Albany’s Washington Park provides the setting for this marble monument sculpted by Hermon A. MacNeilsitting on a granite base, with a bronze female statue representing the Nation, as she cradles the palms and garlands of victory. The monument represents “The Nation at Peace Won Through Victorious War”.
It was erected by the Grand Army of the Republic as a monument to Civil War veterans. Restored in 1986, it was renamed the Albany Veterans Memorial Monument. On October 5, 2012, after another restoration funded by the Washington Park Conservancy, the Monument was rededicated at a ceremony which marked the city’s official observation of the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War.
In a competition to select the design the commission selected Hermon MacNeil over five other sculptors. The bronze figure represents “The Nation at Peace Won Through Victorious War”.
The monument is 22 ft. high and 21 ft. wide; it’s built from Tennessee marble and granite from Stoney Creek.
Etched in marble behind Victory are soldiers and sailors marching to her defense.
The inscription reads:
“In commemoration of the men of Albany who gave their lives to save the Union, and in grateful recognition of all whose patriotism aided to giving to this nation under God a new birth of freedom, in making love of country a national virtue and endowing our land with peace and prosperity. “
The bronze figure of Victory represents the country. She holds palms of victory and peace, and a sheathed sword of war. Etched in marble behind her are soldiers and sailors marching to her defense. On the other side is a Civil War battery in action. One end shows a wounded drummer boy; the other a soldier returning to his wife and child. There are about 60 life size figures cut into the monument.
Back side shows a Civil War artillery battery in action.
Soldiers and Sailors’ Monument in Washington Park, Albany NY
The right end shows a wounded drummer boy.
The Left end shows a soldier coming home to his wife and child.
There are about 60 life size figures cut into the monument.
Friends of Albany told the monuments story this way:
Sometimes we take for granted the things we see every day. The Monument honoring Albany men who served in the Civil War probably falls into that category. It sits at the entrance to Washington Park at Henry Johnson Blvd.
Estimates vary, but we think about 7,000 -8,000 Albany soldiers and sailors served in the Civil War (Keep in mind the population of the city was about 62,000 in 1860.) They were old and young, married and single, and they were white and African American.
Yes, there were Black troops from Albany in the War. Most served in “Colored” regiments, but some served in “regular” regiments. (Much more research needs to be done to identify these men.)
Some of the men enlisted in regiments mustered in Albany, like the 44th New York. Others had moved out of the Albany by the time the War started, and enlisted in the towns and cities where they lived across the North.
They fought in almost every battle and naval action, from the first Battle of Bull Run, to the siege of Vicksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the clash of the Merrimack and the Monitor, and were there at the surrender at Appomattox Court House.
And those who returned formed Veteran’s organizations.*In Albany there were about 5 – my GGG Charles Zeilman, who fought at Little Round Top helped found the Lew Benedict Post. Quickly these individual posts banded together in a great association called the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR).
And so the local chapters of the GAR across the country raised funds and lobbied governments for memorials to those who served and died. These monuments can be found in big cities and small towns all across the North.
Most were built in the latter part of the 19th century, but in the early part of the 1900s it became clear that the Vets were growing old and passing away. So there was a re-newed push for monuments to commemorate their heroic efforts. In Albany that began about 1906.
The New York State Legislature appropriated $100,000 and additional funds were raised. The original location selected was Capitol Park, but that changed. There was a competition to select the design; the commission was awarded to Hermon Hermon A. MacNeiland represents “The Nation of Peace Won Through Victorious War”.
The monument is 22 ft. high and 21 ft. wide; it’s built from Tennessee marble and granite from Stoney Creek.
The inscription reads:
“In commemoration of the men of Albany who gave their lives to save the Union, and in grateful recognition of all whose patriotism aided to giving to this nation under God a new birth of freedom, in making love of country a national virtue and endowing our land with peace and prosperity. “
A bronze figure represents the country. She holds palms of victory and peace, and a sheathed sword of war. Etched in marble behind her are soldiers and sailors marching to her defense. On the other side is a Civil War battery in action. One end shows a wounded drummer boy; the other a soldier returning to his wife and child. There are about 60 life size figures cut into the monument.
The memorial was dedicated with a grand ceremony and parade in October, 1912.
Until the Great War (World War I) and the creation of Memorial Grove and the Gold Star Mothers Monument in the Grove, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was the focus of all Decoration (Memorial) Day activities.
*Sadly the Veterans posts mostly excluded African American soldiers who fought in the colored regiments. But in Saratoga County Billy Lattimore, (identified in the 1860 census as mulatto) fought with the 77th NY, and was an active member of the GAR for 50 years. (His grandfather Ben Lattimore Sr., a Revolutionary War soldier, is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery. )
However, the GAR national organization did include a number of African American members and officers who fought in regular and colored regiments, including a number of men who were born enslaved in the South.
Here is ONE place to go to see sculpture of Hermon A. MacNeil & his students. Located in cities from east to west coast, found indoors and out, public and private, these creations point us toward the history and values that root Americans.
Daniel Neil Leininger ~ HAMacNeil@gmail.com
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WE DESIRE YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS – Suggestions
1. Take digital photos of the work from all angles, including setting.
2. Take close up photos of details that you like
3. Look for MacNeil’s signature. Photograph it too! See examples above.
4. Please, include a photo of you & others beside the work.
5. Tell your story of adventure. It adds personal interest.
6. Send photos to ~ Webmaster at: HAMacNeil@gmail.com
A bronze figure represents the country. She holds palms of victory and peace, and a sheathed sword of war. Etched in marble behind her are soldiers and sailors marching to her defense. On the other side is a Civil War battery in action. One end shows a wounded drummer boy; the other a soldier returning to his wife and child. There are about 60 life size figures cut into the monument.
Hermon Atkins MacNeil
