The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-07-17
NANNY STATUE CAUSES
WAR BETWEEN ARTISTS
,.vc IDEA FOR MEMORIAL TO
NEGRO WOMEN OF SOUTH
WAS PURLOINED.
IN Be PLACED in WASHINGTON
rd.. Of Perching Black Nanny Atop
NJ Pedestal Is Ridiculed. Move
,,snt Was Initiated by Late Gov
.rror Bob" Taylor of Tennessee.

won't Was Initiated by Late Gov
srror Bob" Taylor of Tennessee.
WASHINGTON, D. George
TrI;an Zolnay, sculptor, who has just
rsceived the commission to do the
NANNY" Statue group commend
.o+;nq the devotion of slave women
- the white children of the south re-
fuses to engage in any sort of con-
.roversv with Uric S. ]. Dunbar, an
o+ber well-known Washington sculp-
tor who charges that Mr. Zolnay pur-
,o;ned the idea for his model from
,rotber model which Dunbar had pre-
oared 10 years ago. Zolnay is for
,,,er president of the Washington Arts
club.
Now, with the revival of the move
ment initiated 10 years ago by the late
Senator Robert Love Taylor. of Ten
ressee, for statue to the ngro mani
mics" of the south, verbal war be-
tween two of the prominent sculp-
tors of Washington is under way. 1t
seems that when the late Senator
TAYLOR started the agitation for the
erection of such a statue Mr.. Dunbar
was asked to make a model. He COM
Piled but shortly thereafter the move
ment was lost sight of and for almost
two decades, he says, that statue has
been kicking around my studio"
Brought Out His Statue.
Recently the agitation was revived
and the senate passed a resolution
favoring the erection of the proposed
statue and offering a site in the heart
Of Washington's Oldest residential sec
ton. Then Mr.. Dunbar carefully
sought out his model of 16-year vim
tage, busted it, built new base and
announced that he was ready to sub
nit the model to the proper authori-
ties
About this time, however, he learn
ed that the commission already had
been given to Mr.. Zolnay and obtain
ed a picture of the Zolnay model,
showing an aged negress holding one
white child on her lap with other
white children on each side in the at
titude of listening to story.
Ridicules Idea.
\ Then Mr. Dunbar said few things.
He charged that Zolnay, who had Wis
tied his studio many times, had pick
ed up the symbolism of the Dunbar
group and appropriated it as his own.
He also ridiculed Zolnay's idea of
having the group take the form of
fountain. How could anyone make a
fountain symbolic of black mann
|my" he scornfully queried.
But Mr. Zolnay processes to be I'M
concerned over Dunbar's charges and.
IN fact, to consider them unworthy OF
notice.
Il can't afford to get into any con-
|roversy with this fellow" he said
coolly today.
Sympathetic Treatment NEEDED.
AS to the criticism of the fountain
idea, however, why should black
Imammy be perched atop a pedestal in
such fashion that one can look up
under her skirts? The subject is not
TO be treated in heroic but in sympa
thetic fashion. / therefore, designed
fountain about which little children
can play and the upper part of which
places nanny and the child figures
IN gracious framing. l am convinced
that fountain is the only correct
4 Treatment.
Il had never heard of and never
seen this man Dunbar's work, and l
knew him only as slight aCquaint-
! ance met at the Arts club. When the
committee saw my group they accept
z ed it and | am to work it out from
1--we models in marble and bronze.
congress has authorized site on the
Triangle bounded by Q street, Massa
q ChuSetts avenue and Twenty
street.
Shows Different Conception.
Dunbar charges l appropriated his
q ueaS That is false on the face of it,
T Mnen the two pieces are considered.
ms piece shows the nanny holding
white child and her own pickanin-
aleS Juggling at her skirts. Mine shows
mfee children, all white. His is on a
& PEDESTAL. Mine is in high relief. | new
~ was IN Dunbar's studio except once,
ana then | went to deliver a lecture
ana saw none of his work at that
s. uTle.
Mr. Zolnay does not intend to go TO
@o5K on his life-size group until the
Iuq OF the summer. Then he will Sc
su his models. The nanny" he
oApectS to obtain from one of the Vir-
fllla estates few miles across the
= otGmac. He said he might be able
- OBTAIN suitable subject in Wash
T0lSS5on, but that a nanny" from the
w nlu Dominion probably would be
more appropriate.