The Pioneer Mother Memorial Explained

The Pioneer Mother Memorial
Artist:Avard Fairbanks
Type:Sculpture
Subject:Pioneer mother and children
Metric Unit:cm
Imperial Unit:in
Condition:Renovated c. 2000
City:Vancouver, Washington, United States
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:13
Coordinates:45.6271°N -122.6749°W

The Pioneer Mother Memorial, also known as Pioneer Mother and Pioneer Mothers,[1] [2] is a 1928 bronze sculpture by American artist Avard Fairbanks, installed at Esther Short Park in Vancouver, Washington, in the United States. The memorial depicts a mother and three children, and commemorates pioneer mothers who settled in the Pacific Northwest. The main female figure may depict Esther Short, one of the first U.S. citizens to arrive in Fort Vancouver. Commissioned by Vancouver banker Edward Crawford and his wife Ida for $10,000, it is one of the city's oldest works of public art, acquired in 1928 and unveiled in 1929. The sculpture was renovated around the start of the 21st century and is maintained by the City of Vancouver's Parks & Recreation department.

Description

The Pioneer Mother Memorial is installed at Esther Short Park's north entrance, at the intersection of West 8th and Daniel Street (between Columbia and Esther Streets)[1] [3] in Vancouver, Washington.[2] [4] [5] The park commemorates the pioneer woman and her husband Amos, who were among the first U.S. citizens to arrive in Fort Vancouver.[6] Some sources say the memorial sculpture commemorates Esther Short specifically, while also "[typifying] all the brave mothers of the frontier" who settled in the Pacific Northwest.[5] [7] [8] Some sources say the sculpture's main female figure is Short herself, per the dedication ceremony's program. The sculpture was cast in Florence, Italy, where Fairbanks was working on his Guggenheim Fellowship.[7]

The memorial features a full-length bronze figure depicting a mother and three children. The woman wears traditional pioneer clothing, including a long dress, shawl, and shoes. She stands, facing forward, and holds a flintlock rifle in her proper right hand. The woman's opposite hand rests on the head of the taller of two girls at her proper left side.[2] The taller girl holds the shorter one with her proper left hand, while the shorter girl faces the taller one and rests against the mother's proper left knee. A young boy clings to the mother's dress and leans against her rifle. The sculpture measures approximately 7feet × 3feet × 21inches and rests on a concrete and granite base that measures approximately 102inches × 18feet × 15feet.[2]

Behind the figure group is a concrete backdrop. Its reverse side includes a bronze medallion with a bas-relief depicting a team of oxen pulling a covered wagon. The animals are led by a man, and an "anxious" woman and baby are in the wagon.[2] [3] A large barrel is attached to the wagon. The bottom of the medallion includes a relief of a cattle skull. The medallion has a diameter of approximately 36inches.[2]

The memorial includes several inscriptions. One by the woman's foot reads, . The medallion has two inscriptions: one below the wagon displays a copyright symbol and reads,, while another says, . On the concrete backdrop below the medallion is the signed inscription: .

History

The Pioneer Mother Memorial is one of Vancouver's oldest works of public art (the oldest, according to the Clark County Historical Museum), acquired in 1928 and unveiled on July 21, 1929 (or September 7, according to some sources).[9] Fairbanks attended the ceremony.[10] The artist was commissioned to create the memorial by Vancouver banker Edward Crawford and his wife Ida, who donated $10,000 to its creation.

The work was classified as needing treatment by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in May 1995. It was renovated as part of park improvement efforts around the start of the 21st century.[11] The memorial is maintained by the City of Vancouver's Parks & Recreation department.[2]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pioneer Mother. City of Vancouver, Washington. September 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151006103306/http://www.cityofvancouver.us/ourcity/page/pioneer-mother. October 6, 2015. live.
  2. Web site: The Pioneer Mother Memorial, (sculpture).. Smithsonian Institution. September 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151006051525/http://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=all&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!22057~!0#focus. October 6, 2015. live.
  3. Book: Oregon Trail: The Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. 1939. US History Publishers. September 19, 2015. 151. 9781603540650. https://web.archive.org/web/20160428082246/https://books.google.com/books?id=T1sz3w79VrwC&pg=PA151&lpg=PA151&dq. April 28, 2016. live.
  4. Web site: Great Places in America: Public Spaces: 2013: Esther Short Park. American Planning Association. 2015-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20150911061411/https://www.planning.org/greatplaces/spaces/2013/. 2015-09-11. live.
  5. Book: Washington: A Guide to the Evergreen State. 1941 . US History Publishers. 283. 9781603540469. September 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160512144802/https://books.google.com/books?id=XVipB9Gu_JkC&pg=PA284-IA9&lpg=PA284-IA9&dq. May 12, 2016. live.
  6. Book: Oregon: End of the Trail. January 1940. Somerset Publishers, Inc.. 303. 9780403021864. September 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160617094745/https://books.google.com/books?id=6G6WgBQK2SkC&pg=PA303&lpg=PA303&dq. June 17, 2016. live. Note: Federal Writers Project.
  7. Book: Brown, Hillary. Pioneer Mother: The Life and Times of Esther Clark Short. February 12, 2013. 254–255. Hillary Brown . 9781257027606. September 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160603073256/https://books.google.com/books?id=LWrl16n5EDMC&pg=PA254&lpg=PA254&dq. June 3, 2016. live.
  8. Web site: Vancouver Uncovered: Clark County Historical Museum. Clark County Historical Museum. September 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151006070858/http://www.cchmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/MuseumText1.pdf. October 6, 2015. live.
  9. Book: Jollota, Pat. Vanishing Vancouver. December 16, 2013. Arcadia Publishing. 56. 9781467130301. September 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160501173634/https://books.google.com/books?id=p48bAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA56&lpg=PA56&dq. May 1, 2016. live.
  10. Book: Jollota, Pat. Downtown Vancouver. 2004. Arcadia Publishing. 92. 9780738529592. September 19, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160512222116/https://books.google.com/books?id=oZqR-XpI9esC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq. May 12, 2016. live.
  11. Web site: Esther Short Park: A Town Square Makeover. Association of Washington Cities. 2015-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20151006183008/http://www.awcnet.org/Apps/ma/projects/2003vancouver4.pdf. 2015-10-06. live.