''Make Way for Ducklings'' is a sculpture by

Nancy Schön Nancy Schön (born 1928) is an American sculptor whose work is displayed internationally in museums, libraries, universities, private collections, and public outdoor spaces. She is best known for her work titled ''Make Way for Ducklings'', insta ...

, which recreates the duck family in

Robert McCloskey John Robert McCloskey (September 15, 1914 – June 30, 2003) was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He both wrote and illustrated eight picture books, and won two Caldecott Medals from the American Library Association for t ...

's children's classic ''

Make Way for Ducklings ''Make Way for Ducklings'' is an American children's picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. First published in 1941 by the Viking Press, the book centers on a pair of mallards who raise their brood of ducklings on an island ...

''. The original set of

bronze statues Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply "a bronze". It can be used for statues, singly or in groups, reliefs, and small statuettes and figurines, as well as bronze elements t ...

was installed in the Boston Public Garden in 1987, and a copy was installed in Moscow at Novodevichy Park in 1991.

Boston

''Make Way for Ducklings'' is installed in

Boston Public Garden The Public Garden, also known as Boston Public Garden, is a large park in the Downtown Boston, heart of Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent to Boston Common. It is a part of the Emerald Necklace system of parks and is bounded by Charles Street (Bos ...

. The tallest statue stands only tall, and the caravan of bronze ducks set in Boston cobblestone spans 35 feet (10.67 m) from front to back. The statue, installed October 4, 1987, was a tribute to Robert McCloskey "whose story ... has made the Boston Public Garden familiar to children throughout the world." The Make Way for Ducklings sculpture is routinely dressed in outfits throughout the year, for various Boston sports teams, for events such as the Boston Marathon, and for holidays such as Mother's Day. The work was surveyed by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

'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 Heri ...

" program in 1997.

Moscow

A sculpture, similar to the original set in the Boston Public Garden, was erected in Novodevichy Park in Moscow as part of the

START Treaty START I (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was a bilateral treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union on the reduction and the limitation of strategic offensive arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 De ...

Acton, Massachusetts Acton is a New England town, town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, approximately west-northwest of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston along Massachusetts Route 2 west of Concord, Massachusetts, Concord and about southwest of Lowell ...

landscape and construction company Capizzi & Co. Inc. on July 30, 1991. The equipment, statues, cobblestones, and workers were all flown by the

US Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

in a C-5 containing the heavy equipment, diesel fuel, and other assorted tools they would need. The individual statues, which were in total length, long, were presented by United States First Lady

Barbara Bush Barbara Bush (; June 8, 1925 – April 17, 2018) was the first lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993, as the wife of the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush. She was previously second lady of the United States fr ...

to Russian First Lady Raisa Gorbachyova, Raisa Gorbachev as a gift to the children of the Soviet Union. Four of the ducks were art theft, stolen, one in 1991 and three in February 2000. Thieves hoping to sell the ducks as scrap metal cut the statues off at the legs. The ducks were replaced in September 2000 at a rededication ceremony attended by former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev.

References

External links

* {{Public art in Boston 1987 sculptures 1987 establishments in Massachusetts 1991 establishments in Russia Animal sculptures in Russia Boston Public Garden Bronze sculptures in Massachusetts Outdoor sculptures in Boston Outdoor sculptures in Moscow Sculptures of birds in Massachusetts Statues in Boston Statues in Russia Stolen works of art Vandalized works of art in Massachusetts Vandalized works of art in Russia Ducks in art