New-York tribune., 1911-12-12
THOMAS BALL DEAD
Well Known American Sculptor
Was in His Ninety.third Year.

Thomas Ball, the we'll known American
sculptor. died yesterday morning at the
home Of his son-in-law. william Couper'
az No. iO5 Upper Mountain avenue, Mont
clair. n. ]. Mr.. Ball fell in his room on
November %. The injury in itself was not
serious. but owing TO the sculptor's ad-
vanced age IL caused great weakening
of his physical condition. and he gradually
sank Yesterday morning, after "A long
siumber. he awoke, and, calling about him
the members of his family, he bade them
all an affectionLte farewell. Then he lapsed
into unconsCiousness and short time later
died. Mr.. Ball outlved all the American
sculptors who attained prominence In the
last half OF the nineteenth century and
reached q greater age than any Of MS con-
temporaries His work had marked In
nuence on monumental art In the United
States.
Mr.. Ball was born in Charlestown, Mass,
on June ?. 1919, and was the son OF Thomas
Ball. a house and sign painter. OF Bedford,
Mass. and Elizabeth Wyer Hall, of Med
ford. Mass. Early I'm his career he was
A member OF the famous Handel and Haydn
Society, Of Boston, and sang the title role
I'm the first production in this country or
Mendelssohn's Elijah" Mr.. Ball first
turned his attention TO painting, and in
1851 took up sculpture, his earliest work
I'm that line being a bust OF Jenny Lind.
Mr.. Ball lived in Florence, Italy, from
1866 to 1897, being a member OF the colony
of artists that included the Brownings and
Hiram Powers He then returned to this
country. and in 1898 took mp his residence
in Montcair, living in a beautiful italian
villa on Tpper Mountain avenue. Mr..
Balls work as a sculptor is shown IN
many OF the cities of the United States,
the most notable examples being the eques-
tIIan statue of Washington, in the Public
Gardens at Boston; the Lincoln emancipa-
ton group i'm Washington. statue OF
Governor Andrews, at the state House III
Boston: a statue of Daniel Webster. In
Central Park. New York: a statue OF Ed
win Forrest, as Coriolanus, in the Actors
Home. Philadelphia: statue OF JOSIAH
Quincy. IN front Of the City Hall at BoS-
Ton. and a statue Of Charles Sumner. in
the Public Gardens al Boston. Another
large figure OF Washington, the work of
Mr.. Ball. is in Methuen, Mass
MI. lbdli fOlllDltAFh III l''o a '''''' " -
on which he had been laboring for fifty
wears. This was a painting entitled Christ
IT, the House of Marth3 and Mary rms
picture he started about the time he had
decided to abandon painting for sculpture
At intervals during a halt century he gave
it loving touches. and when. after an aver
age lifetime had elapsed, the picture was
finished The artist took as much pride in 1t
as i'm any OF his more pretentlous products.
The picture now hangs in his late home,
as does a painting OF his mother The
sculptor wrote an autobiography My
Threescore Years and Ten" which was his
chief essay I'm the literary field, although
he was the author OF several lyrics and
minor poems
Mr. Ball leaves a daughter Mrs. William
Couper. Of Montolalr. He was member
Of st. LUke's Episcopal Church Montclair
The funeral will be held to-day. The body
will ultimately be taken 10 Florence, fot
burial beside his wife. who lied and was
buried in the Italian city