Underground Railroad, (sculpture).

Underground Railroad, (sculpture).

Armstrong, Cameron, sculptor.

Underground Railroad, (sculpture).

Digital Reference:

Railroad metal rails and wooden ties, gravel.

Sculpture: approx. H. 44 in. W. 17 ft. x D. 18 ft.

A section of railroad track, eight ties long, emerges from the ground at a fifteen degree angle. A circle of gravel surrounds the sculpture.

Architecture -- Industry -- Railroad Yard

History -- United States -- Black History

History -- United States -- Underground Railroad

Outdoor Sculpture -- Ohio -- Oberlin

Oberlin College, South Professor & West College Streets, across from the Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, Ohio 44074

This environmental sculpture commemorates Oberlin as a significant stop on the Underground Railroad, the secret escape route which helped slaves to freedom in Canada during the Civil War era. The artist constructed the sculpture during his senior year at Oberlin College. He bought the rails as scrap from Penn Central Railroad and spent about $700 on the construction and materials. The site for the installation was changed several times before the current site was chosen. Originally the sculpture was to be installed in front of the Mudd Learning Center, but college officials objected. When the sculpture was created, it was not intended to be a permanent installation, but the Class of 1977 decided to reimburse the artist $200 and present the sculpture to the college as its class gift. IAS files contain related articles from The Oberlin Review, April 22, 1977 and Sept. 23, 1988; Oberlin News Tribune, June 2, 1977; and Elyria Chronicle Telegram, June 22, 1977.

Campen, Richard N., "Outdoor Sculpture in Ohio," Chagrin Falls, Ohio: West Summit Press, 1980, pg. 143.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Ohio, Cleveland survey, 1994.

Campen, Richard N., "Outdoor Sculpture in Ohio," Chagrin Falls, Ohio: West Summit Press, 1980, pg. 143.

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

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