The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-01-10
MIDDLEBURY. W.T.. JANUARY TO- 1871
American Statuary Marble.

Doubtless many Of your readers who
in the hall Of the Boston Latin School.
dedicated to the memory of the graduates
who fell in the late rebellion have either
wondered or thought it a mistake when
told that it was sculptured from Ameri-
can marble. For some two thousand
years the quarrics of Carrara, of Car
ravezza, have furnished the world with
nearly all the marble which, in ancient as
well as modern times, has in its various
forms supplied the art galleries, museums,
palaces and halls with their most treasure.
ed masterpieces.
From this obscure little Italian town
and ncighborhood came the blocks, from
which were chiselled such chef-d'euvers
as the Venus de Medici-Laocoon, Apollos
Belvdere, and Dying Gladiator, while on
this marble have been cut the names of
artists like Michael Angelo, Bernini,
John Of Bologna, and others whose names
are imperishable in the annals of art.
1t seems as if our country was rich in
everything that the world can boast for,
though at a late day, now comes the dis
covery of an extensive bed of statuary
marble in Middlebury, Addison County,
Vermont, possessing all the good qualities
of the Italian, and more, without having
any of the objectionable qualities Of the
latter. The writer saw specimens of this
marble in London last spring, and heard
the criticisms of several sculptors and
large dealers there. After testing the
blocks thoroughly, they were equally sur
prised and grati6ed to know that the
time was coming when the old monopoly
would be broken down, an America COM
pete with Italy, in furnishing to the
markets Of the world material so import
ant to the advancement Of art.
The metallic ring of the Middlebury
marble is as clear as bell.metal, and it is
hard and very finely crystalizcd, which
renders it susceptible of taking very
fine edge, and especially adapting it to
resist the open action of the weather when
placed in the open air. Its color is not
that dead white seen in the Carrara mar.
BILE, but is of that warm color, or very
light cream tint, so long sought after by
sculptors. So much of desideratum is
this color, that Miss Hosmer often slight.
ly colors her works to meet this require.
ment, while our countrymen resident in
Italy, among whom the writer can men,
ton Randolph Rogers and Thomas Ball
say that the value of marble thus tint
ed is greater than the pure white, al
other things being equal Another fea
ture recommending the American marble
is its soundness and entire freedom from
; sandholes, which latter fault is so universe
in the foreign marbles as to injure tn,
finish Of nearly every statue or bust Gu
from it..
The memorial statue crt by Richar,
s. Greenough is not the only specimen o
work cut from the Middlebury marble
Several artists are using it and among
them may be mentioned the names o
Launt Thompson and Ames Van Wart
of New York and the late Joseph Carew
Of Boston, formerly used it.
Now that we are rich both in statuar,
marble and in the talent of sculptors th
! time promises to be not far distant whe
we can point to our works Of art an
proudly say that, which now no countr
in viewing her sculptored treasures, cx
cept Italy, can say, they are matire, bot
material, the brains that conceived an
the hands that wrought them.-Ljosto
! TrUreVer