Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-07-30
Who Designed the lincoln Monument
at Springfield. III!
SOMETHING AnoUT THE CHARGES AGAINST
LARRIN G.. MEAD.

/
LARKIN G.. MEAD.
Most Of our readers are undoubtedly well
aware that during the past two years there
has been an apparently systematic attempt
to break down the regulations of several
eminent American sculptors, prominent
among those thus singled out being Brat
tleboro's lavoritc and favored son, Larkin
G.. Mead. \ new clement in this contro-
vcrsy appeared two weeks ago in the shape
ola long and somewhat tiresome letter to
the New York Ttibuno from the pen Of
Tommaso Gagliardi Gaglardi was for
merry so well known in Brattleboro that it
has been suggested that the reproduction
of his letter in our columns would Of itself
give Bratlleboro people the best opporuni-
" to Judge Of the truth or ia!sity of the
charges against Mr. Mead. The length of
the letter is such that we cannot give the
whole, but we quote, commencing where
Gagliardi says he came TO Brattloboro, to
work on Nfead's statue Of Ethan Allen:
"The statue was very much advanced.
In the same time | have cut two statuette
call the Mountain Boy and " School
Girl" pointed and finished 10y myself. In
the same time, Mead, he give to them some
fine touches of chsel. GA the Sth Of Au-
rust 1850. ii was n very warm dav,
never was in habit to lose a single hour of
days work. Lark did always call him
so-say to me after dinner, "1hOmas, to.
day is very warm; we have better to 90 at
WaseOoh water-cure aud play ten-pn."
SO we went there to play with some other
gentlemen fatally threw one fthe most
large balls. | felt that | have hurt my
shoulder. I stop to play. In night l have
hard pain, but next day | went to work by
using a big hammer. In the evening |
sweat very much. l went down the river,
and wash the upper part of my body with
out shirt. On leaving the shop | say,
Lark, have cured myself" but on the
night was taken Of terrible pain in my
shoulder, and FROM that day I was not able
TO work any moro. Lark, he finished the
statue himself. ! Try 10 cure myself every
thing, but without any result. On the
month of October, / start for Europe to
cure myself 1 went to Rome, Geneva,
Paris. but my arm was lost entirely. /
was in Europe four months. Then l went
back TO Bralteboro."
After this Mr.. Mead went 10 Florence,
whittier Gagiardi followed him to work as
his foreman, and the letter goes to detail
the modelling of design for statue and
monument TO Mr.. Lincoln, which was not
accepted. We pass to the main point at
issue:
zone morning in February, 1865, Mr..
Mead he load me circular sent 10 him by
Col. Lawrence, American Consul of Flor
cnce, which circular was to advise all
Americans sculptors of Florence TO make
design for q national monument for Abra-
ham Lincoln, TO be erected at Springfield,
Illinois, which design was to be decided
by the committee on the 18th of April the
same year. What l say, l call for witness
NJ. Mead, who are in the city of New York.
Mr. Mead say 10 me, "Thomas, how we
can make new design? We shall have
no time, and besides this, 1 know, l am
sure, Miss Hosmer will receive the COM
mission any how" l answered: Why o
you not let be presented the one you ex-
hbit in New York? lie say: "That one
are played out" Immediately came in
my idea, n colossal monument. | said (:
Larkin, l have a colossal idea, which will
astonish all America. He answer: "Thom-
as, will not spend no more upon Lincoln
monument" "Well," | say, Il will en-
terprisc everything at my own expenses
If you will not receive the commission
shall lose all the money paid for H." NJ
Mead say: "All right. l shall put my
name under it," Immediately after his
last word l went TO purchase nine feet of
blue paper, and with it went in the studio
of Signor Augusta Passaglia. I then have
suggested him my colossal plan for the
Lincoln monument, 100 feet high, 40 wide.
we put tne piuG paper on INC wall, ana
mont of my conceived colossal idea.
called NJ. Mead TO see it, and | with great
proudness say TO him: Hurra, this are the
one will get the price. He laughed, and
say really are pretty large one. l say
1Ailieilv"' beoPie nengt S,TP III as slilSlI
himself was impossible to make such de-
sign in front and profile in 40 days; but he
,r"' '' l,'o = - ~ ~ Mfo IN
W. MoI il Pnn, n''u "sh Nun II ho
SoHIu neiip ",a"SI TO- ~, oo SI" lr"Ne lno
T'tlg ~ lSn 10 ~ 'i W. Hlaicn
~ W I .no'i', ~ It, W. iIUuIS
peioio Ivy ueLa i, tuio at tue uepot vi TOT,
ny 'iUo ,iJ l., 'Ic es'sn anu
@'' Ni0"u "'''0 ms "''''' III ""'''
The design being thus completed, Gag
liardi weut with if to Now Yorl, and sbovv-
- ,4a,.o,,ai ,.a,,,,a1.
Gu IL 10 seNe'"I pIouil"eht SehHeiheh' Al
Ter lew weeks lie returned to Florence,
the time for the decision on The designs
bovino bcon nosfnonol f., tho r,lloy,in,,
'''0 us
oep'eHhoer'
Whom I GOO Mr. AIcodIiold him. ..x,,,,
had Haitar S,art in,n'Ili,,oi, n.it ~
wiGn far Nmoricr hernnSn ~ o"nt ,y'r,.
"cntlcn,an bnv1 eLTy. NO an ,,,;,,i 1'''nS
sSnrod mo tL,f ,ho dro,,i,,Tr Gro,,',I,, -, w.,
IN NnnTicn ,yau tho ms TO- az. ~ Dy tao
NJ, Moni saw to ,na If In'Cas Sno t''o ,.
snlr Lv have 6onn IL, An1aric, far i,onIn
Mnr,fn,or, bo ,Yos not 10 r,o 10 a., H.
sane. CO. hn do nor tal,n nv, od,.io Wv t,,1
iatn i, JnIv NJ EIonJ ,omayvo "IN ,'J Uuu
rror, liz ci3or datad Rrot,ioi'nr t. ie' io
in which Iei,ar liz f'ii"r oJ,,j,o I Liy,, ~,
lake nv odviCa tn staIt FAR Hnorinn ," a,' ~
ationd Ia tho Gnsi,oss 81 7 innnI,i Nto "'ru
meui mis- IetteT ao in INV, ,oSoi1a,, ~
Nj Noad no tala Tho advicyo fnr lie g. : o'.
md infi JSlorouce ho1nd to na,i S ''Ifp
or,iyed in Roo,S,, on ibo OH nT ", "a