Evening star., 1947-06-30
Lincoln Statue an Ordeal
Mrs Cresson Tells How Father Struggled for Perfection
In Efgy of Martyred President
By James Waldo Fa,Oceft

When it first was finished and installed,
the efdgy of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln
Memorial was disappointment to the sculptor
responsible for its creation. This is disclosed
in Margaret French Cressons biography OF her
father Daniel Chester French, entitled Jour-
ney into Fame" recently published. Contained
in the same volume are many other interesting
facts about what now is regarded as the most
popular portrait statue in the world.
MIR. French. it is explained was chosen for
the work by the architect Henry Bacon, who
said he felt that the presentation OF the
character of Lincoln required sculptor anu
a man who had the power to appreciate Wnat
Lincoln was" The recommendation, approved
by William Howard Taft, chairman OF the
Memorial Commission, made (him) feel very
humble In fact, he felt little panlcky ABOUT
it. There had been so many fine and capaoie
statues of Lincoln. He wondered II ne reauy
had it in him to make any fresh contribution
But he usually felt that way until he actually
got his fingers in the clay and he trusted that
this time, of all times, he would be gmoeo 10
acquit himself worthily."
One Lincoln already had come from his
hands for the front of the State House at
Lincoln, Nebr In preparation for modelling IT,
Mr. French had studied many photographs
of the martyred President, read appralsaS or
his character and personality, talked repeatedly
with Lincoln's son Robert, in effect "steeped
himself in his subject. The result was
statue showing the Emancipator standing as
on the edge of a speakers platform, "trozen"
in thought For the memorial on the nortn
bank of the Potomac Mr.. French decided TO
picture Lincoln as seer, looking out into the
future.
Factors Employed in Making Masterpiece.
Six years of labor went into the task. The
face was based on the life mask OF Lincoln.
Mr.. French, according to his daughter, wanted
the hands to represent "the strength and power
and tension as we'll as the relaxed character
that he was trying to put into the whole hgure'
but the life casts of Lincoln's hands did not
approximate the pose that Dan was after.
The sculptor finally had an assistant make
plaster replica of his own hand in exactly the
pose he wanted" temporary model OF the
whole composition was set up in the hall
completed memorial in February, 1918. 1t was
feet in height and Mr.. French's verdict was
that: "It looked like pygmy against its back
ground of Indiana limestone" Further expert
mentation was indicated. Photographs OF the
interior of the memorial were made and on
those photographs figures II, IA and 18 feet
high were Sketched. The ultimate decision
was for statue 10 feet in height on pedestal
II feet high family of seven Italian marble
cutters-father and six sons, Picc1rlll by
name-was entrusted with the business OF
carving the figure. "It was cut in sections
from % separate blocks of marble, and these
sections, some of them with curved surfaces
would not be fitted together until they were
sent down to the memorial and put in place,
one on top of aRother, like huge blocks with
which child would build house The work
was carried to such a degree of perfection
that unless one knew where to look for the
seams one would hardly be able to find them
The whole thing weighed ITS TONS"
Mrs. Cresson tells how her father was to be
paid $4,000 for the completed statue, "but
the expenses were staggering" The Piccirillis
were given $4,000 for their carving of the
figure, $4,000 for the pedestal. "As Dan added
it up, he would not have very lavish remuner-
alton for all these years of work, but that was
Just one of those things that one couldn't
foresee"
Eventually, the % blocks were assembled,
and Mr. French came to Washington to inspect
the achievement "As he mounted the steps,
he saw the head of the statue first. It had
strange and startled appearance. He hur-
ried little with new, wild pang of appre-
hension at his heart. There something
wrong. .. 1t never had looked like this in
the studio, The solar prints hadn't looked
like this. The face looked fat and white and