Eli Bates Fountain - by Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Also known as "Storks at Play" '
Installed: 1887
Location: The Great Garden [Lincoln Park]
The fountain is the centerpiece of one of Chicago's oldest existing gardens, The Formal Garden (Lincoln Park), dating back to 1880s. In the background is the Victorian style Lincoln Park Conservatory (built in 1890 designed by famous architect, Joespeh L. Silsbee)
Gift of Lumber merchant Eli Bates
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Gift by Eli Bates
Eli Bates, was a pioneer in the lumber business in Chicago
He died in 1881 and in his will, he designated funds to create two sculptures:
Storks at Play fountain, and
statue of Abraham Lincoln
Both to be erected in the Lincoln Park. Saint-Gaudens was commissioned as sculptor for both the Lincoln statue and the fountain.
Both of these sculptures were installed in 1887.
There is also a monument to Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller,
"prince of poets," at the south side of the site, as seen in the image below....
3 comments:
I just looked thru a number of your "Public Art in Chicago" blog entries, and I just wanted to let you know that I am greatly impressed by your photos and your effort in collecting and presenting all your work together here. Thank you very much. - Doug Van Tol
Hi Doug,
Thank You very much for your comment. I love taking pictures and a comment like this makes it a lot more fun! I sincerely appreciate it.
Interesting that the waterfowl are actually geese, not storks. Is there another name for the Bates fountain?
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