New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-16
THE BRYANT MEMORIAL.
A LETTER ABOUT IT TO THE PARK BoAhD'
JOHN plGELow,s ACCOUNT OF THE DUsr-H-r
OF THE SUBSCRIBERS TO THE FUND

JOHN BIGELOw's ACCOUNT OF THE BCsl
OF THE SUBSCRIBERS TO THE FUND.
The following letter has been sent by John bis'i,"
to the Commissioners OF the Department Vi ~
Iarks: LII, -,
At a meeting Of the Century Association hria u.
lis foImcr hcnc In Fiftecnthst. lew y,ars ,m "a
commitIec was appointed 70 procure Subscriptions ~,
the erection of monumental mIH1" wo Of Of hi,
and also of conspicuous Sl,e Il, .ne hon"rci
ark. lhc apIeals Of 'r cI'' maS no until early
In The current year that 1t was ABLE To asic5 pD
pleely satisfy the required conditions We ive m"w
great satisfaction in being ape 10 AWE soa vnrr
The committee has ut last dttiur' -, 70 n1tn'inc the
colossal bust OF the deceased poet which was mao
iy Iniint Thompson some years ago nov on eNhlDi-
,io, nt the Mciiopolltan Museum Of Artl, in abc
hemcycle Of proportions graduated 10 t.t t,I"m,mt
q your honorable body, shall be- adapted 10 Such
structure and It's purposes. ~, ,,o mcmillan.
q, ron r horonhle BODY that we should recall pr
tio AT loas, Of the history Of this bust anu ~ an
the circumstances which c.n,llrcu II, ,1 Mtropoan
MnS,Tm, Tho order the bust was given to s Mr;
Inompen by car. H. Lnd Hr .Gi o% the occa
sion Of II festival given by the century -" ',, r
70 celebrate Mr. nryant's ,evcntie,h BIRTHDAY. Mr,
thompson was at work upon this bust Two y'i,rS. ~
wa, pnt into bronze by AmcunuX. Of philadelphia
e p" i in -G7 and delivered 10 the Central
Tarl, ronmI,, toners the following year IN IN" III
tcgval between the giving OF the "ri'r ni'u us
ucn your honorable board had OCCASION .J ""ypa
, rh h.. moi been lead for the period of at lea.
i've year, should be admitted 10 any OF tn" cry ,
,,,rks In consequence Ci this ru" no a'nh WI,
taken upon tn" application 10 have tn' nus %
fnrmoIly accepted by your honorable body. and the
following year President -tcthnS yiri"'i ~ ,, :,
Gn'St Of several of our prominent cl"n' TO my" u
nnI,c'I in the Metropolitan Museum Of Art milil
under the rules Of The iak Department. u com" "''
lis propor rc.iing place In the Genital Ia Il. "a.
Late I'm the winter Of 1.,j. and two year, all'f
the expiration The post o9it prc-crcG by me- u'
partmrut for park m,mo'ial-, VII. lordrn. ih'I
member Of yonr honorable body, was appointed
committee 10 select site for m b"H, ~ W,
CENTRAL Park and To communicate VITA MIR LudlnE1h
,,unu Inc subject. We understand iIom VII. Luz
ington That be- received no communication from Nr;
E"rdcn in relation to TIL, duty, and !, not aWar' "l
mv s,,,,rournt action by your honorable body In III"
~ Of thc merits Of Mr. Thompsons bust Of rrynnt
There has never been any difference Of opinion among
experts. II ranl, among the greatest a'hirN"h'.uS,
and 81 every m"mbr- "t his Family. or lh,' r'l' In'
il ha, been preferred as the special feature OF mou
mental memorial 10 any Other ,cipturrd representa-
ton of our greatest poet now praclica, IT,. ,,,
For Il mont elevation of tn proposed shrine; Wlrh
ar, indebted TO Mr. Ernc, iiags 10 "h" l,ar w.t.
are also indebted Tor the inclo,'d NOR drlalI"u
description 0f the design. 10 which your attention
is respectfully invited We als' annex ll,' 81
contributors toward the cNpnnNc OF ms m"n"rlIi'
-hond the design herewith Submitted receive a." ap
prevail Of your honorable body, W. rc,pf, uily re-
in the Central Park aud authorize the committee
repre- scented by the UNDERSIGNED. To proceed VII" a,
little delay ~ possible with Tia" erection 'i Inc
~, posed memorial Of who Na> tn creator oi hr
highest form Of literary art In our country, WI" Tor
h.li a century WAS the most eminent citizen "i IL
commercial METROPOLIS who VIZ one ~ the earliest
most ndo'atglhlc. ana mo,t efficient advocates anG
promoter, Of our metropolitan park y',rm and va"
,aunccd hi, NE in Contributing by hi, senin, e,
the attractions OF "a, one ~ Which II sem, ',,, y
''"'' WY JOHN nIICLow. Chairman.
The following the subscribers to the Bryant
Monuments:
Hugh Nucnnco,. Elear :, Anciinclo-s' samuel +.
Avery. samuel d. labcock. frinci, W. Bacon G"orsr
Bancroft. f.. wills Belts. john lisclOw. Frederick
billings. llcbcr Il. Bishop. Arthur Erook-. William
Alien l.uicr. Grover Cleveland, J. Il. t"ddnsi"n,
Edward cooper John rar. Howard crosby. EiW'gd
y VI. Dodsr. y. ". DDisc. William J.. Dodsc. Whim
+. Dodec IT, l.. Dickinson. David Dow. J.cpl W
DrcNc Frederick f. Duland. John Durand, John
ldcihln. benjamin II. Iied. Cyru. W. flcd. Albert
iink Charlie Foster jane +. Gardiner J.. Goddard
Eolcli Gordon. John ~ 80. Gay. John ". Iamor'l'v
Harper 4 Brih"i,. Charlie g. liay"n-. Ahram :
levitt. l. i. Higgins Jnmc, !. Inrrn,on Wilson q.
u. Will James. Morrl, X. .'-up lohn Tay0r John
,icn. Joh D. Jon.s. John =. kennedy. "c'rsr. J..
Iakc \. \. Low. g.. II. Ludins''n. ". T. Lu,k II. q.
Mnrquand Alert Mathew. g. " McIaf ahan. I
l,icy Meyer. Levi T.. Morton. !. H. N"wcombc Fred
tcniorfor. !. y CI~. Henry l.. Icrrponi. !. W
Iia,ho' Charl,s Il. plali John H. Plat. q. romcroy.
George l.. Kit1r,. J. IsnIsi,n Ron Bernard Roclacr
e, l.. schuyler Charles scihrcr's sons. Gustav II.
schvab. samuel sloan. Augustine smith. 'Anrlc
+. -ouihmayd II. /. srnuidns = =. s'.dman
rerry !. 1iidcn. John VI. Touccy.
John ?. Trevor IAwranc- Turnnrc, COR
nclu. Vanderbilt. D. {. Weston. GeOr-r Peabody
Wc'morc. Henry Winthrop and John II. Woods.
The proposed monument Is 10 he semi circular IN
PLAN 30 feet in width. Il fci In depth and - feet
q inches I'm extreme height. II will ret on i",
,claicd platform OF granite measuring 3d by 81 feet
and raised two steps above TIE ground. The struc
turr viii consist generally Of semi clrCuar wall
against the centre Of which AT the back will stand "a
- do-al for the bust which viii Dee sheltered under
a Ir-dimcui supported bv two columns Of the Ionic
order. Tie structure will De constructed OF pur'
white marble and bronze. The pedestal for the bust
consist, of u base. de ana corncc. In the lower
plnih Is Inserted bronze plate With the date w
raised Roman numerals Al either side OF the pei
,s'al st,nds column supporting Tho pcdimrnt which
shelter. bust ON the frlcLc under the y dlmrnt
an iuscr pilon In letters OF bronze. Behind IN"
pedestal runs the semi circular wall spoken u. ~
is base on either side OF ia" columns, are -eais.
Above III" STATS the wall j. covered with inci'"d IN
-crip'i"n~. extracts fr III Bryant's works.
This monument would b" most "nrctlv" II placed
in an elevated position. the back being partly Jet
into the Side Of hill. II would form pl'f-n.
termination 10 u straight alley 81 trees. It's "uch
f. IN ended 10 be- .'..n. and should be concealed
" clump Of tree, and slrubbcrN. ru-gri Lana
scaIr.. with rock, for background. would BE- 'l.c
tive ana would enhance "a" refinement OF III" arcll
lecture
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