Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-02-19
a New Monument Design by LarLin q.
Meade.

Meade.
Through the public spirited munificence
of Mr.. James Lick, Golden Gate Park, |
San Francisco, CAL, is, in the near future,
to be adorned with costly monument TO
the memory of Francis Scott Key, the au-
thor of our stirring national hymn, the
Star ,Spdnglcd Banner. Proposals TO furn-
ish this monument have been invited, and
prominent among the competing artists is
Mr.. Larkin G.. Meade, formerly of Brattle-
boro. The New York correspondent of the
San francisco Evening Bulletin gives that
paper an interesting history and descrip-
ton of Mr.. Meade's design from which we
extract the following:-
Favored at my own request, with view
of Mr.. Meade's design, do not feel at lib
erty to describe all its details at this time.
But there can be no objection to giving
your readers its general plan, or in repeat
ing, as well as can remember, his state
ment of the research which he has made
in order TO fit himself for the work in hand,
and the ideas to which he proposes to give
artistic expression. His first effort was to
procure the most authentic likeness of the
patriotic poet whose fame Is to be recorded
in monu mental bronze. The next was TO
get detailed description of his personal
appearance and q general history and dis
tinet outline of his character. All these
are indispensable TO the production of
sculptured likeness which shall express
the soul, spirit and action, as well as the
form and features of the subject. Mr..
Meade's success in the search has been so
abundantly rewarded that he holds mate
rial enough for biography which he would
do well to bring out whenever he has leis-
ure. Next was presented the question OF
the occasion on which the song was writ
ten and the scenes and circumstances in
spring it. This involved careful study of
the bombardment OF Fort McHenry, and
that in turn required exhaustive search
and comparison of historical records COW
ering that event. Having reached TINS
point the artist decided that a bdS-rettet
representing the bombardment must be
prominent feature in the monument, as
around that incident cluster all the remi-
niscences connected with the creation OF
the nations hymn.
1t may be appropriate here TO say to those
who have not seen Richard Grant Whites
"National Hymns" that the music of Star
.SpdnOled Banner is an old French air long
known in England as "Anacreon in Heav-
en- and in America as adams and Lib
erty," until the song so designated was sup
planted by Keys stirring lines. So ii is
the sentiment born of the scene, and not
the music, which is now to be recorded in
grand work of the sculptOr's art
The song was first sung in restaurant
in Baltimore, next door TO the Holiday
Street Theatre, by Charles Durang, to an
assemblage of patriotic defenders OF the
city. This incident also, the artist seized
upon as the subject for a spirited btS'retief.
The statue of Key himself will represent
him in the moment when, at early dawn,
as he paced the deck of the ship Mindon,
his eye was delighted and his anxious
breast relieved by the sight of his country's
flag still waving over the battlements, des-
pite the storm of shot and shell that had
made night hideous to patriotic hearts.
This affords capital opportunity for most
effective action and deep expression. Nor
is the fact that Key hurriedly pencilled his
immortal lines on the back of random
letter lost sight Of This indication that
they were the simple outpourlngs of heart
Just released from an uncomfortable load of
apprehension will be made to tell its story
to the life.
The principal and most effective group
ing of statuary in the work, the artist in
tends shall represent the triumph of the
flag, and here he has seized his opportuni-
ty for the highest artistic excellence and
most striking effects. His mode of treat
ing this part of the work is at once bold,
original and grand. The group consists of
several figures, the central one nine feet in
height, being statue of Freedom. At suit
able points bronze tablets, six feet in length
are to be placed, inscribed with the COM
plete words of the song. Another and mod
est tablet is designed to crafty, by suita-
bic inscription, the natural desire of every
beholder TO know whose liberality and
good taste have provided this beautiful eX-
preston of nations admiration for the
gifted song-writer.
The architectural part of the monument
comprises a sub-base, base main pedestal,
and browning pedestal-the latter rising
from the cap of the main pedestal. The
statue of Key, II feet in height, surmounts
the browning pedestal while grouped
around its base and upon the top of the
lower pedestal, stand ten figures, each from
s to 8 feet high, representing the triumph
of the flag, as already stated.
The lower pedestal is approached by a
series of six steps. Its general form is that
of a square, with octagonally-cut corners
From the level OF the upper step rises a
band four feet high, perfectly plain and
without molding, forming a severe and
massive base for the pedestal above. UI
TO this point it is proposed to use Quincy
or some local granite-blue-gray in color,
For all the stone-work above the base the
design contemplates the beautiful red gran
lite quarried in the Bay of Fundy, which
is susceptible of polish enduring as the
stone itself.
The lower pedestal rises ten feet from this
base, and has its own carefuly-studied
base and cap holdings. Just below the
dentil course of the cap a belt of stars
runs completely around the shaft In tho
four faces of the pedestal are to be placed
the bronze bds-reliefs and Inscriptions
while the four smaller faces, formed by
cutting away the corners of the square, are
decorated with poetical, musical and patri-
otto emblems, also in bronze. The upper
pedestal, resting upon the lower, is enough
smaller than the latter to permit the group
ing about its base of the statuary already
indicated. 1t is some twenty feet high it
Gaping ornamented with the national
shield on four sides, with festoons of lau
rel between. These ornaments, as well a,
some masks of chanting cherubs seen ovel
the shields, are all of bronze.
The lower step approaching the base II
80 feet from corner to corner. The base it.
self is l6 feet square. The main pedesta
is IA feet square at the base and IL at tn,
top, while the browning pedestal is sever
and half feet square at the base and six a
the crown. The entire height of the worl
is fifty feet, thus keeping every part of i
near enought to the point of vision to in