OT: Daniel Chester French's models (Columbia's Alma Mater, etc.)

[Joel S. Berson]

 From the site
http://www.yeodoug.com/resources/dc_french/alma_mater/dcfrench_alma_mater.html:

  "Alma Mater's" face is one of the most beautiful in French's
output. The model may have been Mary Lawton, an actress and friend of French's.

There is also a reference (link) to an article in "Columbia News".

(I did not Google further, for other hypotheses.)

Joel

At 11/15/2005 02:33 PM, you wrote:
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>Subject:      OT: Daniel Chester French's models (Columbia's Alma Mater, etc.)
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>
>This is off-topic, but I'm researching Daniel Chester French's models.
>French's most famous work is Lincoln in Washington, D.C. His most
>popular model,
>perhaps, was Audrey Munson (who I rediscovered).
>...
>Audrey Munson's long-lost film PURITY will be shown at the University of
>California-Santa Barbara on November 20th, and I'm trying to bring
>it to NYC. On
>Google Answers a few weeks ago, I was told that the model for Daniel Chester
>French's Four Continents Group at NY's Bowling Green (Customs House), thought
>to  be modeled by Audrey Munson, is Violet Blossom Conrad.
>...
>I'd like also to know the model for Daniel Chester French's "Alma Mater" at
>Columbia University. I read somewhere (did I post it here?) that it was  posed
>for by a Ziegfeld Follies star. I thought the newly digitized BARNARD
>BULLETIN would have this info, but I can't find it.
>...
>I'm also curious about the model for Daniel Chester French's "The  Republic,"
>the huge statue at Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition.
>...
>Artists' models were seldom recorded, but newspaper obituaries mention  these
>things--and newspapers can now be searched. I recently discovered an  Audrey
>Munson competitor named Jesseca Penn. "Dudie" Baird is another model who
>posed for famous NYC sculptures (Diana on the old Madison Square Garden).
>...
>Sorry for the OT.