Liberty, (sculpture).

Liberty, (sculpture).

Gebhart, William, sculptor. (attributed to)

Liberty, (sculpture).

Victory, (sculpture).

Goddess of Liberty, (sculpture).

Mayfair Lady, (sculpture).

ca. 1879. Dedicated July 4, 1879. Relocated Jan. 29, 1969.

Digital Reference:

Sculpture: sheet zinc, bronzed.

Sculpture: approx. H. 10 ft. 8 1/2 in. (500 lbs.).

(Base, plaque on west side:) LIBERTY (OR VICTORY)/by William F. Gebhart (American)/Erected on the Gebhart Opera House/at 22 East Fifth Street in 1879/Gift of the Honorable Dave Hall. 1969.9 unsigned

A female figure representing Liberty stands atop a small dome holding the laurel wreath of victory in her extended proper left hand. Her proper right hand once held the sword of justice, but the sword is now missing. She is dressed in long robes and wears a crown adorned with stars. The sculpture is installed on top of a tall square base.

Allegory -- Civic -- Liberty

Figure female -- Full length

Outdoor Sculpture -- Ohio -- Dayton

Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park North, Front lawn, Dayton, Ohio 45405 Accession Number: 1969.9

Mayfair Theater, 22 East Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio

Lyric Theater, 22 East Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio

Park Theater, 22 East Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio

Formerly located Gebhart Opera House, 22 East Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio until Jan. 29, 1969.

In 1876, William F. Gebhart, owner of a sheet metal fabrication business in Dayton, built the Gebhart Opera House and during construction announced that the building would be surmounted by a statue. It was not until July 3, 1879 that the statue was installed on the roof of the opera house and on July 4, 1879, it was dedicated as the Goddess of Liberty. The piece was most likely fabricated at Gebhart's factory and was the first to be placed on a public building in Dayton. Subsequently, the Gebhart Opera House became the Mayfair Theater and the piece became known as the Mayfair Lady. In the intervening years, the Gebhart Opera House was known as the Park Theater from 1889-1994, the Lyric Theater in 1906, and finally the Mayfair Theater in 1934. When the Mayfair Theater was torn down in 1969, the sculpture was purchased by former Dayton Mayor, David Hall, and given to the Dayton Art Institute. Sometime during the 1880s, the figure lost her laurel wreath. Restoration work was done on the sculpture in 1969 by Robert C. Koepnick.

IAS files contain a photocopy of a Feb. 1969 cataloging sheet from the Dayton Art Institute; an excerpt from a paper by Marylizbeth Simons Grefe entitled "Garden Sculpture of the Dayton Art Institute," and newspaper articles detailing the relocation of the sculpture to the Dayton Art Institute. Images in the newspaper articles show the figure holding the sword that is now missing from her proper right hand.

Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985

Dayton Art Institute, 1988.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Ohio survey, 1995.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

Control Number:

Horizon Information Portal 3.25_9382

Powered by SirsiDynix

About | © 2020 Smithsonian | Terms of Use | Privacy | Contact

SIRIS - Smithsonian Institution Research Information System