Oliver P. Morton (monument)
Encyclopedia
Oliver P. Morton and Reliefs, is a public artwork by Austrian
artist Rudolf Schwarz, located on the East side of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis
, Indiana
, at the intersection of North Capitol Avenue and West Market Street.
statues and two bronze reliefs, one plaque on the front, and two plaques on the rear, also of bronze. The pedestals on which the statues stand are made of granite
. Oliver Perry Morton stands positioned in the center, raised above the other two figures by a full figure's height. Two Union soldiers flank either side of Morton. One of those soldiers is placed on the proper left holding a bayonet
and is uniformed. The other soldier is placed on the proper right holding a rifle and wearing a sword on his proper left. This figure is uniformed as well. Below the figures at the base of the pedestals are two flags crossed with olive branches, and there is an oak wreath of leaves and acorns in the center.
The reliefs are located on the proper right and proper left of the statues. The relief that is proper left is facing south. It shows Oliver P. Morton giving a speech. The relief that is proper left is facing north. It shows him standing in an infirmary tent.
On the proper rear of the memorial are two plaques. The top plaque is located on the pedestal of Morton. It says:
On the plaque below the first on the lower part of the pedestal are the words:
.
The planning of the Morton memorial began in early 1906. On February 9, 1906, the Commission met and designs were presented by Franklin Simmons from Rome, Italy; Hugh A. Price from Chicago
, Ill.; and Rudolf Schwarz from Indianapolis, Indiana, for bronze figures 12 feet high and the tablets for $9000. The designs for the pedestals were planned upon contract with John R. Lowe and if accepted, architect fees would be for the same. Plans by Lowe were accepted and after legal notice was given in the newspapers, bids for the pedestals were received on April 10, 1906. The bid of Chas. G. Blake & Co. out of Chicago
, Illinois was accepted for $7,483 of Barre granite and $10,150 of Westerly granite.
Soon after, officers of the state designated the space of the memorial as "Morton Plaza." The dimensions of the pedestals were then increased and the contractors were allowed $935 in addition to the original commission price. On June 4, 1906, the contract for Schwarz to create the first part for the letters of the name "Morton" was created. The second part was for the 4.5 x 5 foot historic tablet that gives a brief history of life and services of Governor Morton. The third part of the contract was a Grand Army tablet that is two feet six inches by eight feet. The fourth part was for two bronze statues of soldiers of the Civil War, each ten feet high. All of these components of the commission paid Schwarz only $7,500.
Two balustrades were then placed on the north and south ends of Morton Plaza. The Commission chose Chas. G. Blake & Co. once again. Rudolf Schwarz received another contract to provide and furnish the materials for two bronze bas-reliefs to go on the middle columns of the balustrades for $500 apiece.
The bas-relief of the south balustrade dedicates a scene to the women of the war. It is explained as "...while some were supplying clothing and hospital supplies, others went down to the very border line of danger to help nurse back to health the sick and wounded, when possible." The north bas-relief portrays a familiar war scene of the reception of homecoming veterans.
The materials for the foundation that the pedestals sit upon is deeply laid solid masonry of limestone and cement. The pedestal itself weighs 32 tons and required 16 horses to move it from the car to the place where it is now. The bronze of the monument weighs approximately 16,000 pounds. 8,000 of that is attributed just to the Morton figure. The bronze is composed of 90% copper, 8% tin, and 2% zinc. The same makeup goes for the balustrades and reliefs.
Oliver Perry Throck Morton, Morton's grandson, unveiled the memorial at the age of 8. After the dedication, the only unfinished work that needed to be done was the paving of the plaza. Crushed granite and granite steps were installed in little time at the price of $1,139.75. The total amount that was spent on the project was $36,544.40.
in Ohio. He studied law in Centerville, Indiana
and at law school in Cincinnati, Ohio
. Morton began his career reading in the office of Judge Newman of Centerville.
Morton was originally a Democrat
and opposed to the extension of slavery, but he became one of the organizers of the Republican Party
. After he joined the Republicans, in 1856 he was of three delegates from Indiana that attended the Pittsburgh convention. In 1856 he was nominated by his new party for the position of governor. In 1860 he was elected lieutenant governor on the ticket with Henry S. Lane. He became governor when Lane was elected to the United States Senate
. Morton was re-elected to serve as governor in 1864 until 1867 in which he was elected to the United States Senate. He was re-elected in 1873 to the Senate. Among his achievements was establishment of the fifteenth amendment, he was involved in the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, and he was a trusted advisor of the Republicans of the south. In 1876 at the national Republican convention he received a next to the highest number of ballots for presidential nomination. He was considered a leading Radical Republican during his government career. He died on November 1, 1877.
in 1899 after he won the final international design competition, originally implemented in 1877 with German architect Bruno Schmitz
, who began work on the monument. Schwarz, a native of Vienna
, Austria, had worked with Schmitz on many projects in Germany. This specific project led Schwarz to Indianapolis.
Rudolf Schwarz was born in Vienna in June 1866. He attended the Real Schule, similar to America's high school, for eight years. Afterward, he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts where his work was recognized and where he received many prizes. Karl Bitter
, a New York sculptor that attended the Academy with Schwarz introduced him to stone-carving. Bitter describes Schwarz in their younger days:
"Schwarz attracted me very much. His manly bearing, his fondness for athletic exercise, his straightforwardness, and particularly his quick and vivid mind, made him one of the most promising pupils of the Academy. To his influence during these years I owe a great deal, especially in physical development. He supplied our class with dumbbells, which became our favorite exercise. He was the kind of young man in every respect that I should like my son to be; for with his coming a new ideal, striving, entered the hearts of the other students."
In 1887 when the competition for the Soldiers and Sailors Monument
began, Bruno Schmitz
, who was first commissioned for the work realized he needed to bring Schwarz to Indianapolis. Schmitz located him in the ateliers of Berlin and both went to Indianapolis to work on the monument.
Rudolf lived a simple life, almost secluded. He was not known among the public. He created a studio on East Raymond Street on the south side of Indianapolis. His studio was more or less a shed that was below ground. He had an assistant who was also his model who would dress in costumes for the figures that Schwarz would be designing. Schwarz made his creations using the reproductive wax process, which was previously used in Italy for small castings.
About working as an artist, Schrawtz says: "It requies some nerve for a young man to choose art as a career. An artist sometimes does not know how to meet the problems that come up. He must have the greatest conceivable amount of patience if he wishes to achieve success. Art as well as any other work takes perseverance."
For the last seven years of his life, Schwarz created and directed a class in sculpture from 1905 to 1912 at the John Herron Art School, now known as Herron School of Art
. Rudolf Schwarz died on April 14, 1912 at the age of forty-seven.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
artist Rudolf Schwarz, located on the East side of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, at the intersection of North Capitol Avenue and West Market Street.
Description
The Oliver P. Morton memorial is composed of three bronzeBronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
statues and two bronze reliefs, one plaque on the front, and two plaques on the rear, also of bronze. The pedestals on which the statues stand are made of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. Oliver Perry Morton stands positioned in the center, raised above the other two figures by a full figure's height. Two Union soldiers flank either side of Morton. One of those soldiers is placed on the proper left holding a bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
and is uniformed. The other soldier is placed on the proper right holding a rifle and wearing a sword on his proper left. This figure is uniformed as well. Below the figures at the base of the pedestals are two flags crossed with olive branches, and there is an oak wreath of leaves and acorns in the center.
The reliefs are located on the proper right and proper left of the statues. The relief that is proper left is facing south. It shows Oliver P. Morton giving a speech. The relief that is proper left is facing north. It shows him standing in an infirmary tent.
On the proper rear of the memorial are two plaques. The top plaque is located on the pedestal of Morton. It says:
On the plaque below the first on the lower part of the pedestal are the words:
Historical information
As seen on the memorial label, the memorial was installed in 1907. The work was commissioned by the Indiana General AssemblyIndiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
.
The planning of the Morton memorial began in early 1906. On February 9, 1906, the Commission met and designs were presented by Franklin Simmons from Rome, Italy; Hugh A. Price from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Ill.; and Rudolf Schwarz from Indianapolis, Indiana, for bronze figures 12 feet high and the tablets for $9000. The designs for the pedestals were planned upon contract with John R. Lowe and if accepted, architect fees would be for the same. Plans by Lowe were accepted and after legal notice was given in the newspapers, bids for the pedestals were received on April 10, 1906. The bid of Chas. G. Blake & Co. out of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois was accepted for $7,483 of Barre granite and $10,150 of Westerly granite.
Soon after, officers of the state designated the space of the memorial as "Morton Plaza." The dimensions of the pedestals were then increased and the contractors were allowed $935 in addition to the original commission price. On June 4, 1906, the contract for Schwarz to create the first part for the letters of the name "Morton" was created. The second part was for the 4.5 x 5 foot historic tablet that gives a brief history of life and services of Governor Morton. The third part of the contract was a Grand Army tablet that is two feet six inches by eight feet. The fourth part was for two bronze statues of soldiers of the Civil War, each ten feet high. All of these components of the commission paid Schwarz only $7,500.
Two balustrades were then placed on the north and south ends of Morton Plaza. The Commission chose Chas. G. Blake & Co. once again. Rudolf Schwarz received another contract to provide and furnish the materials for two bronze bas-reliefs to go on the middle columns of the balustrades for $500 apiece.
The bas-relief of the south balustrade dedicates a scene to the women of the war. It is explained as "...while some were supplying clothing and hospital supplies, others went down to the very border line of danger to help nurse back to health the sick and wounded, when possible." The north bas-relief portrays a familiar war scene of the reception of homecoming veterans.
The materials for the foundation that the pedestals sit upon is deeply laid solid masonry of limestone and cement. The pedestal itself weighs 32 tons and required 16 horses to move it from the car to the place where it is now. The bronze of the monument weighs approximately 16,000 pounds. 8,000 of that is attributed just to the Morton figure. The bronze is composed of 90% copper, 8% tin, and 2% zinc. The same makeup goes for the balustrades and reliefs.
Oliver Perry Throck Morton, Morton's grandson, unveiled the memorial at the age of 8. After the dedication, the only unfinished work that needed to be done was the paving of the plaza. Crushed granite and granite steps were installed in little time at the price of $1,139.75. The total amount that was spent on the project was $36,544.40.
Oliver Perry Morton
Oliver Perry Morton was the first Indiana native to be governor of Indiana. He was born in Salisbury, Indiana in Wayne County. The family's name was originally Throckmorton, known by the emigration of Morton's grandfather from England around the beginning of the Revolutionary War whom settled in New Jersey. Oliver's father was James T. Morton from New Jersey who married his mother whose maiden name was Sarah Miller. When he was young he worked as a hatter's apprentice for four years before attending college at Miami UniversityMiami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
in Ohio. He studied law in Centerville, Indiana
Centerville, Indiana
Centerville is a town in Center Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,552 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Centerville is located at , at an altitude of 1,014 feet . U.S...
and at law school in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Morton began his career reading in the office of Judge Newman of Centerville.
Morton was originally a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and opposed to the extension of slavery, but he became one of the organizers of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. After he joined the Republicans, in 1856 he was of three delegates from Indiana that attended the Pittsburgh convention. In 1856 he was nominated by his new party for the position of governor. In 1860 he was elected lieutenant governor on the ticket with Henry S. Lane. He became governor when Lane was elected to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Morton was re-elected to serve as governor in 1864 until 1867 in which he was elected to the United States Senate. He was re-elected in 1873 to the Senate. Among his achievements was establishment of the fifteenth amendment, he was involved in the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, and he was a trusted advisor of the Republicans of the south. In 1876 at the national Republican convention he received a next to the highest number of ballots for presidential nomination. He was considered a leading Radical Republican during his government career. He died on November 1, 1877.
Artist
Rudolf Schwarz first gained his reputation by being commissioned to work on the Soldiers and Sailors MonumentSoldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)
The Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a tall neoclassical monument in the center of Indianapolis, Indiana that was designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz and completed in 1901....
in 1899 after he won the final international design competition, originally implemented in 1877 with German architect Bruno Schmitz
Bruno Schmitz
Bruno Schmitz , was a German architect best known for his monuments in the early 1900s, working closely with sculptors such as Emil Hundrieser, Nikolaus Geiger and Franz Metzner for integrated architectural and sculptural effect...
, who began work on the monument. Schwarz, a native of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria, had worked with Schmitz on many projects in Germany. This specific project led Schwarz to Indianapolis.
Rudolf Schwarz was born in Vienna in June 1866. He attended the Real Schule, similar to America's high school, for eight years. Afterward, he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts where his work was recognized and where he received many prizes. Karl Bitter
Karl Bitter
Karl Theodore Francis Bitter was an Austrian-born United States sculptor best known for his architectural sculpture, memorials and residential work.- Life and career :...
, a New York sculptor that attended the Academy with Schwarz introduced him to stone-carving. Bitter describes Schwarz in their younger days:
"Schwarz attracted me very much. His manly bearing, his fondness for athletic exercise, his straightforwardness, and particularly his quick and vivid mind, made him one of the most promising pupils of the Academy. To his influence during these years I owe a great deal, especially in physical development. He supplied our class with dumbbells, which became our favorite exercise. He was the kind of young man in every respect that I should like my son to be; for with his coming a new ideal, striving, entered the hearts of the other students."
In 1887 when the competition for the Soldiers and Sailors Monument
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)
The Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a tall neoclassical monument in the center of Indianapolis, Indiana that was designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz and completed in 1901....
began, Bruno Schmitz
Bruno Schmitz
Bruno Schmitz , was a German architect best known for his monuments in the early 1900s, working closely with sculptors such as Emil Hundrieser, Nikolaus Geiger and Franz Metzner for integrated architectural and sculptural effect...
, who was first commissioned for the work realized he needed to bring Schwarz to Indianapolis. Schmitz located him in the ateliers of Berlin and both went to Indianapolis to work on the monument.
Rudolf lived a simple life, almost secluded. He was not known among the public. He created a studio on East Raymond Street on the south side of Indianapolis. His studio was more or less a shed that was below ground. He had an assistant who was also his model who would dress in costumes for the figures that Schwarz would be designing. Schwarz made his creations using the reproductive wax process, which was previously used in Italy for small castings.
About working as an artist, Schrawtz says: "It requies some nerve for a young man to choose art as a career. An artist sometimes does not know how to meet the problems that come up. He must have the greatest conceivable amount of patience if he wishes to achieve success. Art as well as any other work takes perseverance."
For the last seven years of his life, Schwarz created and directed a class in sculpture from 1905 to 1912 at the John Herron Art School, now known as Herron School of Art
Herron School of Art
Herron School of Art and Design, a school of Indiana University, was ranked 45th overall by U.S. News and World Report among graduate schools of fine arts in 2008....
. Rudolf Schwarz died on April 14, 1912 at the age of forty-seven.