#Cherry Hill Fountain by Jacob Wrey Mould

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Public Art, New York City (No. 6)

The Falconer

This elegant bronze statue is the work of British sculptor George Blackall Simonds (1844-1929). Born in Reading, England, Simonds's family had a partnership in the prosperous brewery, Simonds and Courage. He attended Saint Andrew's College (later Bradfield College), and, demonstrating early promise as a sculptor, studied art in Dresden, Germany, and Brussels, Belgium, before residing for 12 years in Rome, Italy.

While in Italy, Simonds learned much about the tradition of lost-wax bronze casting. He later published a series of articles on this subject in the journal, America, in which pushed for the use of lost-wax casting in Great Britain. Simonds's The Falconer statue, cast by Clemente Papi (1802-1875), a founder in Florence, Italy, weds several of his interests. The statue depicts a young falconer in Elizabethan garb, holding aloft a falcon poised for release. It is installed on a cylindrical granite pedestal perched on a natural rock outcropping south of the 72nd Street transverse road, and east of the park's West Drive.

Simonds himself was an avid falconer, and was later depicted with a falcon in an official portrait made of him as chairman of the family brewery by Sir Oswald Brimley. The original sculpture of The Falconer was created for Trieste, Italy, and was shown at the Royal Academy exhibition of 1875. It appears that George Kemp (1826-1893), a wealthy merchant born in Ireland, who later lived in New York City, admired the sculpture so much that he commissioned a full-scale replica for Central Park, where it was dedicated on May 31, 1875.

Following his success with The Falconer, Simonds married American Gertrude Prescott, whom he had met in Rome, and settled at his mother's ancestral home, Bradfield House. They had a son, George Prescott, in 1881, who was killed in France during World War I. In 1884, Simonds helped found the Art Workers Guild in London, a group of young architects and artists inspired by John Ruskin (1819-1900) and William Morris (1834-1896) to create a unified forum for architects, artists, and craftsmen. Simonds said of the guild, "…it differs from all Art Societies in that it is not formed for the propagation of any one branch, or style, of Art…I find something of the spirit of the Studio Life of Rome."

Simonds also triumphed with a monumental lion sculpture he created in 1886 for the Forbury Gardens in Reading, England. It was commissioned by the County Regiment as a memorial to the Berkshire men who had died in the Battle of Maiwand in the Afghan War of 1880. Also during this time, Simonds sculpted an image of Queen Victoria for her Golden Jubilee of 1887, which stands outside Reading Town Hall, and a portrait of industrialist and biscuit king George Palmer, for the local Palmer Park.

Upon the death of his elder brother, Blackall, in 1905, Simonds was willed his name, which he adopted for posterity. As his career as an artist waned he assumed an increasing role in his family's brewery business, and was named its chairman in 1910, a position he held until his death in 1929.

A second casting of The Falconer stands today in Lynch Park in Beverly, Massachusetts, reportedly a gift of Robert Evans, a Beverly native who had admired the sculpture while convalescing in a hospital near Central Park, and subsequently received permission to make a bronze replica.

Since its installation, The Falconer has suffered extensive damage from weathering and vandals. The monument was in danger of toppling in 1937 until it was shored up and repatined by Parks. In 1957, a new bronze falcon was fashioned and reattached. Further vandalism later compelled the City to remove the sculpture to storage for safekeeping, and in 1982, a new arm and falcon were modeled, cast, and reattached, and the statue reset in Central Park. In 1995, the Central Park Conservancy conserved and repatined the statue, and today the sculpture embodies the rich sculptural collection Central Park inherited in the 19th century, as well as the abundant bird species, including peregrine falcons and red-tailed hawks, which populate the park.

Source

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November 2021- Beautiful Bow Bridge

If you have your Picture This Photography Calendar this is your November 2021 image “Beautiful Bow Bridge”

This image was taken on Thanksgiving a few years ago and remains a classic favourite image. As time goes by I have captured technically better images of this scene, more colourful photos and close up & detailed images however I do revert back to this photo when in doubt.

Firstly, I love that there is foreground interest and it is so colourful, I find the image to be balanced where the tree branches til the right side of the frame without distraction, finally the reflection of the bridge & buildings give a central viewpoint this drawing the eye around the photo for the viewer to feel part of the scene. I even like the deliberate negative space where the sky is blown out to prevent it being overly fussy and compliment the crisp fall day.

Taken from Central Park Driveway across The Lake it is a lovely viewpoint and one of my favourite walks from Ladies Pavillon to Bethesda Terrace via Cherry Hill Fountain and of course up close to Bow Bridge.

Wikipedia tells is Bow Bridge is a cast iron bridge located in Central Park, New York City, crossing over the Lake and used as a pedestrian walkway.

It is decorated with an interlocking circles banister, with eight planting urns on top of decorative bas-relief panels. Intricate arabesque elements and volutes can be seen underneath the span arch. Its 87-foot-long span is the longest of the park's bridges, though the balustrade is 142 feet long. While other bridges in Central Park are inconspicuous, the Bow Bridge is made to stand out from its surroundings. Bow Bridge is also the only one of Central Park's seven ornamental iron bridges that does not traverse a bridle path.

The bridge was designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, and completed in 1862. It was built by the Bronx-based iron foundry Janes, Kirtland & Co. The bridge was restored in 1974

If you find yourself on the west side of Central Park be sure to check out "Beautiful Bow Bridge" no matter what the season or weather, you will never be disappointed.

[rabbitcruiser]

Central Park, Manhattan (No. 3)

Cherry Hill Fountain is a water fountain in New York City's Central Park. It is located just to the west of Bethesda Fountain, enclosed in a circular plaza in Cherry Hill.

Designed by Jacob Wrey Mould and dedicated in the 1860s, the ornamental structure was originally designed as a watering trough for horses during the 19th century. The fountain consists of a granite dome and sculpted bluestone basin inset with Minton tiles. Crowning this 14-foot high tower are eight frosted round glass lamps and a golden spire.

In 1998, the Central Park Conservancy, along with a gift from Elizabeth and Clement Moore, restored the fountain back to an operable state.

Source: Wikipedia

The Bow Bridge is a cast iron bridge located in Central Park, New York City, crossing over the Lake and used as a pedestrian walkway. 

It is decorated with an interlocking circles banister, with eight planting urns on top of decorative bas-relief panels. Intricate arabesque elements and volutes can be seen underneath the span arch. Its 87-foot-long (27 m) span is the longest of the park's bridges, though the balustrade is 142 feet (43 m) long. While other bridges in Central Park are inconspicuous, the Bow Bridge is made to stand out from its surroundings. The Bow Bridge is also the only one of Central Park's seven ornamental iron bridges that does not traverse a bridle path. 

The bridge was designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, and completed in 1862.It was restored in 1974.

Source:

Wikipedia