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Cooper, Charles O.,
Halstead, William,
Literature -- Character
Ethnic -- African American
Occupation -- Labor
Object -- Tool
Figure male -- Full length
Outdoor Sculpture -- West Virginia -- Talcott
Sculpture
John Henry, (sculpture).
Artist:
Cooper, Charles O., 1911- , sculptor.
Halstead, William, assistant.
Title:
John Henry, (sculpture).
Dates:
Dedicated Dec. 1972.
Medium:
Figure: bronze; Base: rough stone and mortar.
Dimensions:
Figure: approx. 8 ft. x 3 ft. 2 in. x 1 ft. 22 in.; Base: approx. 5 ft. 8 in. x 5 ft. 3 in. x 4 ft. 5 in. (800 lbs.).
Inscription:
(Sculpture base, west side:) John Henry (Plaque on stone base, west side:) This statue was erected in 1972/by a group of people with the/same determination as the one it/honors. The Hilldale-Talcott/Ruritan Club chose this memorial/to mark a page of history, one/hundred (100) years after the/completion of the big bend tunnel/in 1872./John Henry died from a race/with the steam drill, during/construction of the tunnel for/the C&O Railway Co./May God grant that we always/respect the great and the strong/and be of service to others./by W.F.H.
Description:
John Henry at work on the railroad. He stands with his feet apart and toes turned in slightly, arms bent at elbows. He holds a sledge hammer in his hands, the right hand near the head of the hammer and the left hand near the base of the handle. He is muscular and wears trousers but no shirt. His hands are oversized. He stands on a rectangular base of rough stones and mortar, with a plaque on the front. Around the top of the base, below John Henry's feet, is a spiked guardrail.
Subject:
Literature -- Character -- John Henry
Ethnic -- African American
Occupation -- Labor
Object -- Tool -- Hammer
Figure male -- Full length
Object Type:
Outdoor Sculpture -- West Virginia -- Talcott
Sculpture
Owner:
Administered by Hilldale - Talcott Ruritan Club, c/o Dillons Supperette, Talcott, West Virginia 24981
Located John Henry Memorial Park, West Virginia Highway 3, between Hillsdale and Talcott, Talcott, West Virginia 24981
Remarks:
Charles O. Cooper sculpted the statue. William Halstead built the base. IAS files contain a related article from Charleston Gazette (Charleston, WV), Dec. 29, 1972. pg 1B. Sculpture cost approximately $7,500. The spike guard rail was a later addition to the sculpture. At some time, the sculpture was reportedly pulled off its base and broken in several pieces. It was subsequently repaired, and the guard rail added to discourage further vandalism.
References:
Save Outdoor Sculpture, West Virginia survey, 1992.
Charleston Gazette (Charleston, WV), Dec. 29, 1972, pg. 1B.
Illustration:
Image on file.
Note:
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.
Repository:
Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
Control Number:
IAS WV000054
Copy/Holding information
Smithsonian AmericanArt Museum
Control Number
Inventory of American Sculpture
WV000054
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