Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-03
AN EDITOR IN MARBLE.
Robert L. CrOsby's Medallion Bust of
Mr. J. NJ. Keafing, of the Appeal.

A great many persons have noticed in
| Leidy's window a medallion bust of Mr. J.
NJ. Heating. one of the editors OF the APPEAL
Inasmuch as Mr.. Heating is in New York
now, the APPEALS young man feels that he
can take the liberty of more freely alludiBg
to the bust than if the restraining hand of
the managing editor were upon him; and it
must be understood that Mr.. Heating knows
nothing whatever OF the aforesaid young
mans intention. The bust is the work of a
talented young Memphian, Robert L. Crosby.
For number of years he has been stons =
cutter with Mr.. Frank Venn, on Court street,
and having a bent as we'll for work OF more
advanced kind, he has at odd times tried his
hand upon it. There is no kind of artistic
work more fascinating than that of sculpture,
and none that is more calculated to refine
and educate man. The man who can cut
a tombstone is, of course, a skilled workman,
but.he can never be called anything more
until he puts living images, or better still,
those of the Imagination, in marble. There
is certainly nothing more interesting than to
note the first definite beginnings of the sculp-
tor the poet, or the actor. Every fine statue
that one sees is liberal education for the
man who conceived and executed it. He must
have been broad, cultured man. Besides
having the defines to reproduce lines Just as
they are, he must be something of an artist,
he must be an anatomist, and he must
have keen insight to human nature.
Joel Hart spent years and years upon his
Triumph of Chastity" 1t took twenty
years for him TO satisfy himself that he had
breathed life into the marble. He was his
own severest critic, and when at last the
marble was the embodiment of his mental
image he gave it to the world. The history
of that piece of statuary is the history of the
grand old sculptor himself, and one can
never look at it without thinking that as he
used the clay he must often have dreamed,
over his work, of the early romance of his
life. 1t is gratifying to any one with
am bition to enroll his name among those of
the sculptors. Mr.. Crosby is an earnest
young man. and ii he keeps on as he has be-
gun he will make a reputation for
himself. His first attempt was a study of
GAGE" creditable piece OF work, which en-
him to take living model The
fidelity with which he has portrayed the
editor of the APPEAL is I'M
doubted. He first made clay model OF Mr..
Heating from a photograph, and then, de-
string his subject to view his work, he made |
several alterations and improvements; and
these accomplished, he made the cast in |
plaster paris, which can be seen in Leidy's |
1t is work OF great promise, and the young |
sculptor is heartily TO be commended for it. |
Mr. keatiDg's co-laborers in journalism. as
ranks, will be gratiied to see this enduring
tribute to him. Asheis away, the young nan
IAN speak boldly. 1t is recognition OF the
worth and standing of one of the most indie
iatIgable of American journalists. Those
who have known the immense amount of
work done by MIN day after day, and done
without any ostentation, will appreciate this
from a talented young man who
sdmires the man and the journalist.