''The Progress of Railroading'' is group of public artworks 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

Louis Saint-Gaudens Louis Saint-Gaudens (January 1, 1854 – March 8, 1913) was a significant American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation. He was the brother of renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens; Louis later changed the spelling of his name to St. Gau ...

. This series of six sculptures were cut by Andrew E. Bernasconi, a high-grade Italian stone workman, between 1909 and 1911. These statues are located at

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

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, ...

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 territori ...

. The sculptures represent deities related to

rail transport in the United States Rail transportation in the United States consists primarily of freight shipments, with a well integrated network of standard gauge private freight railroads extending into Canada and Mexico. Passenger service is mainly mass transit and commute ...

.Goode, John ''Washington Sculpture''. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008, p. 15.

Description

Six figures which stand at 18 feet high are on the main facade of the Union Station building. These granite sculptures are placed above three connected

triumphal arches A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, cro ...

that make up the main entrance of the building. The six figures represent and mean: * Archimedes –

Mechanics Mechanics (from Ancient Greek: μηχανική, ''mēkhanikḗ'', "of machines") is the area of mathematics and physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among physical objects. Forces applied to object ...

Ceres Ceres most commonly refers to: * Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid * Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture Ceres may also refer to: Places Brazil * Ceres, Goiás, Brazil * Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás ...

–

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...

– Imagination or Inspiration *

Themis In Greek mythology and religion, Themis (; grc, Θέμις, Themis, justice, law, custom) is one of the twelve Titan children of Gaia and Uranus, and the second wife of Zeus. She is the goddess and personification of justice, divine order, fai ...

– Freedom or

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded ...

–

Electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning " forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, kn ...

–

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...

The east and west figures are meant to deal with the operational system behind railroads and the center figures represent creativity. The west section is inscribed: :FIRE – GREATEST OF DISCOVERIES :ENABLING MAN TO LIVE IN VARIOUS CLIMATES :USE MANY FOODS – AND COMPEL THE :FORCES OF NATURE TO DO HIS WORK :ELECTRICITY – CARRIER OF LIGHT AND POWER :DEVOURER OF TIME AND SPACE – BEARER :OF HUMAN SPEECH OVER LAND AND SEA :GREATEST SERVANT OF MAN – ITSELF UNKNOWN :THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET The center is inscribed: :SWEETENER OF HUT AND OF HALL :BRINGER OF LIFE OUT OF NAUGHT :FREEDOM O FAIREST OF ALL :THE DAUGHTERS OF TIME AND THOUGHT :MAN'S IMAGINATION HAS CONCEIVED ALL :NUMBERS AND LETTERS ALL TOOLS VESSELS :AND SHELTERS – EVERY ART AND TRADE ALL :PHILOSOPHY AND POETRY – AND ALL POLITIES :THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE The east side is inscribed: :THE FARM – BEST HOME OF THE FAMILY – MAIN :SOURCE OF NATIONAL WEALTH – FOUNDATION OF :CIVILIZED SOCIETY – THE NATURAL PROVIDENCE :THE OLD MECHANIC ARTS CONTROLLING NEW :FORCES BUILD NEW HIGHWAYS FOR GOODS :AND MEN OVERRIDE THE OCEAN AND MAKE :THE VERY ETHER CARRY HUMAN THOUGHT :THE DESERT SHALL REJOICE AND BLOSSOM :AS THE ROSE Two eagles also flank the left and right side of the arches.

Creation process

When the Station was being constructed debate erupted regarding "who" the figures would be or represent. Historical American figures were considered, however, they did not fit into the

Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...

of the building, therefore allegorical figures were chosen. Many people were consulted regarding what figures to have St. Gaudens sculpt including

Charles W. Eliot Charles William Eliot (March 20, 1834 – August 22, 1926) was an American academic who was president of Harvard University from 1869 to 1909the longest term of any Harvard president. A member of the prominent Eliot family of Boston, he transfo ...

, the former president of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

Condition

''The Progress of Railroading'' sculptures were surveyed in 1994 by the Smithsonian's

Save Outdoor Sculpture! Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) was a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. The program was initiated in 1989 and ended in 1999. History Save Outdoor Sculpture! was initiated by Herit ...

program and was described as needing treatment.

References

External links

Photo album from the official Union Station website
* ttp://wondermachine.typepad.com/lovingdc/ Union Station's Statuary from LovingDC {{DEFAULTSORT:Progress of Railroading Tourist attractions in Washington, D.C. Monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C. Rail transportation in the United States 1908 sculptures Granite sculptures in Washington, D.C. Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C. Near Northeast (Washington, D.C.)

Description

Creation process

Condition

See also

Further reading

References

External links