Monday, December 29, 2008

Lincoln Park [Eli Bates Fountain / Storks at Play - by Augustus Saint-Gaudens ]




Eli Bates Fountain/ Also known as "Storks at Play" ...
Installed: 1887..
by Augustus Saint-Gaudens ...
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 1880's ... In the background is the Victorian style Lincoln Park Conservatory [built in 1890 designed by famous architect, Joespeh L. Silsbee] ...

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:
# A fountain ... and ...
# A 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.
# For the Abraham Lincoln Monument. click here ..









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:

Anonymous said...

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

Jyoti said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Interesting that the waterfowl are actually geese, not storks. Is there another name for the Bates fountain?