''Daniel W. Voorhees'' is a public artwork by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

artist James Paxton Voorhees, located on the second floor alcove of the

Indiana Statehouse The Indiana Statehouse is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana. It houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court, and other state officials. The Statehouse is located in ...

behind the tourism desk. The statehouse is located in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Daniel W. Voorhees Daniel Wolsey Voorhees (September 26, 1827April 10, 1897) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Indiana from 1877 to 1897. He was the leader of the History of the United States Dem ...

, nicknamed the "Tall Sycamore of the Wabash" for his tall stature, large head and broad shoulders, was a distinguished Indiana politician of the 19th century.

Description

''Daniel W. Voorhees'' is a

plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for Molding (decorative), moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of ...

sculpture that has been painted white. The bust measures by by . Voorhees gazes slightly upward to his proper left, and his proper right eyebrow is raised. His hair is combed away from a side part on the proper left of his scalp. His handlebar moustache obscures his mouth and reaches his chin in length. A frock coat with a notched lapel is worn over a vest and a high-collared shirt buttoned up to the neck, where a stock-tie is fastened into a bow. The bust sits upon a pedestal of olive branches that partially envelope a coat of arms or crest, which feature eleven stars and seven stripes. A plaque beneath the bust provides the following information: "Daniel Wolsey Voorhees; born 9-26-1827 – died 4-9-1897; Congressman 1861–1865, 1868–1873; United States Senator 1877–1897; Trial lawyer; Orator; Proponent for the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

Historical information

The artist of ''Daniel W. Voorhees'' was

' son, James P. Voorhees (1855–1936). The younger Voorhees spent 21 years as a secretary for his father. After the elder Voorhees' death in 1897, James P. Voorhees completed a bust of his father to memorialize his contribution to the establishment of the Library of Congress, which included planning and championing for the cause as chairman of a Senate committee.Memorials in the State House, pp. 1–2, 1982, Indiana State Library. The bust was presented to Governor James

Frank Hanly James Franklin Hanly (April 4, 1863August 1, 1920) was an American politician who served as a congressman from Indiana from 1895 until 1897, and was the 26th governor of Indiana from 1905 to 1909. He was the founder of Hanly's Flying Squadron ...

(1905–1909) for the Indiana Statehouse.

Location history

In 1943, ''Daniel W. Voorhees'' was located on the southeast corner pier of the third floor of the Indiana Statehouse, facing south. It was accompanied by ''

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

'', a sculpture which was located in the southwest corner pier. At the time, all other niches on the third floor were empty. By 1982, in the northwest corner pier, '' Indiana State Stone'' joined ''Indiana'' and the bust of Voorhees on the third floor. An additional copy of ''Daniel W. Voorhees'' can be found at the Vigo County Historical Society in

Terre Haute Terre Haute ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, about 5 miles east of the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a ...

, Indiana. This bust was donated to the Emeline Fairbanks Memorial Library in Terra Haute in 1906.

Artist

James P. Voorhees was a sculptor, an actor, and a published author. He completed a bust of the ninth Vice President of the United States,

Richard Mentor Johnson Richard Mentor Johnson (October 17, 1780 – November 19, 1850) was an American lawyer, military officer and politician who served as the ninth vice president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841 under President Martin Van Buren ...

, in 1895. The bust was placed in a niche in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

chamber. A year later, James P. Voorhees was nominated to sculpt a bust of the 14th Vice President of the United States,

John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...

. James P. Voorhees also completed busts of

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

and

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

Actor

In September 1897, five months after his father's death, James P. Voorhees performed a series of lecture-monologues with a style of oratory that reminded audience members of the senior Voorhees. A year later, James P. Voorhees started work on a bill to support the establishment of a national theater in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

The bill garnered endorsements from prominent actors of the time, such as

Richard Mansfield Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde''. Life and career Mansfield was born ...

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

E.H. Sothern Edward Hugh Sothern (December 6, 1859 – October 28, 1933) was an American actor who specialized in dashing, romantic leading roles and particularly in William Shakespeare, Shakespeare roles. Biography Sothern was born in New Orleans, Louisiana ...

Henry E. Dixey Henry E. Dixey (born Henry E. Dixon; January 6, 1859 – February 25, 1943) was an American actor and theatre producer. Dixey was born on January 6, 1859, in Boston, Massachusetts. He made his stage debut in Boston in 1868, joining the variety ...

, and

Frank Daniels Frank Albert Daniels (August 15, 1856 – January 12, 1935) was a comedian, an actor on stage, early black-and-white silent films, and a singer. Daniels was born on August 15, 1856 in Dayton, Ohio to Balinda and Henry Daniels, and was raised in ...

. It was introduced to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

by Mr. Miers of Indiana on December 18, 1902.

Author

James P. Voorhees was a published author of several works of poetry and stories, including ''Caverns of Dawn'' (1910). His work, ''Flaws: A Story of Hoosierlands'' (1925) was written while living at the Hendrix Hotel in

Plainfield, Indiana Plainfield is a town in Guilford, Liberty, and Washington townships, Hendricks County, Indiana, United States. The population was 27,631 at the 2010 census, and in 2019 the estimated population was 35,287. History In 1822 a tract of land whic ...

, later known as the Van Buren Hotel. James P. Voorhees also corresponded with

James Whitcomb Riley James Whitcomb Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry. His ...

, known as the “Hoosier Poet.”

References

External links

Full text of "Caverns of Dawn (1910)" by James P. Voorhees available on Google Books

More images of Voorhees in Flickr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Voorhees, Daniel W., Bust of Voorhees, Daniel W. Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection Monuments and memorials in Indiana Plaster sculptures in the United States Sculptures of men in Indiana