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The White Rabbits were a group of women sculptors who worked with
Lorado Taft and The White Rabbits , Art & Design in Chicago , PBS
{{Authority control American sculptors World's Columbian Exposition American women sculptors History of Chicago 19th-century American women Women in Illinois
The White Rabbits were a group of women sculptors who worked with Lorado Taft
Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860, in Elmwood, Illinois – October 30, 1936, in Chicago) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. His 1903 book, ''The History of American Sculpture,'' was the first survey of the subject and stood for deca ...
at the World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...
in 1893.
As the date of the world fair
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
's opening grew closer, Taft realized that he would not be able to complete the decorations in time. Discovering that all the male sculptors he had in mind were already employed elsewhere, he asked Daniel Burnham
Daniel Hudson Burnham (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the '' Beaux-Arts'' movement, he may have been, "the most successful power broker the American architectural profession has ...
if he could use women assistants, an occurrence that was virtually unheard of at that time. Burnham's reply was that Taft could "hire anyone, even white rabbits, if they can get the work done." Taft, an instructor of sculpture at the Chicago Art Institute
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
who had many qualified women students and who frequently employed women assistants himself, brought in a group of women assistants who were promptly dubbed "the White Rabbits."
The sculptors
From the ranks of the White Rabbits were to emerge some of the most talented and successful women sculptors of the next generation. These include: * Julia Bracken (1871–1942) * Carol Brooks (1871–1944) * Ellen Rankin Copp (1853-1901) * Helen Farnsworth (1867–1916) * Margaret Gerow (whose art career ended with her marriage to sculptorAlexander Phimister Proctor
Alexander Phimister Proctor (September 27, 1860 – September 5, 1950) was an American sculptor with the contemporary reputation as one of the nation's foremost animaliers.
Birth and early years
Proctor was born on September 27, 1860 in Bo ...
)
* Mary Lawrence (1868–1945)
* Bessie Potter (1872–1954)
* Janet Scudder
Janet Scudder (October 27, 1869 – June 9, 1940), born Netta Deweze Frazee Scudder, was an American sculptor and painter from Terre Haute, Indiana, who is best known for her memorial sculptures, bas-relief portraiture, and portrait medallions, ...
(1869–1940)
* Enid Yandell
Enid Yandell (October 6, 1869 – June 12, 1934) was an American sculptor from Louisville, Kentucky who studied with Auguste Rodin in Paris, Philip Martiny in New York City, and Frederick William MacMonnies.
Yandell specialized in portrait bus ...
(1870–1934)
* Lorado Taft's sister
Related work
Besides their work on the Horticultural Building, several of the White Rabbits obtained other commissions to produce sculpture at the Exposition. Among these were Lawrence's statue of ''Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
'', placed in front of the Administration Building, Yandell's ''Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...
'' for the Kentucky Building, Bracken's ''Illinois Greeting the Nations'' in the Illinois Building, and Farnsworth's ''Columbia'' for the Wisconsin Building.
See also
* Women artists and the Women's Building at the World's Columbian ExpositionReferences
Further reading
* Janet Scudder, ''Modeling My Life,'' New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1925. *Weller, Allen Stuart. ''Lorado Taft: The Chicago Years''. Edited by Robert G. La France et al., University of Illinois Press, 2014External links
Lorado Taft and The White Rabbits , Art & Design in Chicago , PBS
{{Authority control American sculptors World's Columbian Exposition American women sculptors History of Chicago 19th-century American women Women in Illinois