Memorial to the Fallen 21 and Chicago Firefighters - by S. Thomas Scarff..

Memorial to the Fallen 21 and Chicago Firefighters..
Sculptor: S. Thomas Scarff
Dedicated: Dec 22, 2004..
Prior to Sep 11, the nation's deadliest fire, at one place, was the Dec 22, 1910 fire at the Chicago Stockyards. It killed 21 Chicago firefighters, including Fire Marshall James Horan.

The Chicago Stockyard Fire Memorial is a "Memorial to the Fallen 21, as well as all Chicago Firefighters who gave their lives to protect the City." The memorial includes an 8-foot-high bronze and aluminum sculpture. Also, there is a "Wall of Honor" bearing the names of all the Chicago Fire Department firefighters and paramedics who have died in the line of duty. The memorial is be located right behind the original stone gate that leads into the Stockyards.













I have no idea why this stone is here.. But I am pretty sure there is some explanation... and I will find it out soon..



The memorial is be located right behind the original stone gate that leads into the Stockyards, as seen in the above image..

For more on....
# Union Stock Yard Gate, click here..
# For more images of the Memorial and the Union Stock Yard Gate, click here..





Modernism in Sculptures..
A slight diversion from the facts and entering into the style of sculptures..
When it comes to the commemoration of the human sacrifice, though public art; the death, destruction, and the horror associated with it, the modern abstract form, with minimal details, distorted faces and streamlined silhouettes; seem to be more effective.. This sculpture is a very good example.. It's very easy to see the horror on the faces of this sculpture, with destorted features and minimal distraction in the form of details.
Some days back I had written a post on how we transitioned from classical and neo-classical details towards modern abstract figures.. click here..




Here's a maquette of the Memorial statue, with sculptor S. Thomas Scarff sitting behind it.. It was taken yesterday at his Sedgwick Studio..


Tom had made paintings of each of the 21 firefighters who lost their life in the tragedy. These paintings were made befor he started working on the memorial..