Mead, Tomb & Grant .... help needed....

[Finnigan]

(04-20-2015 03:48 PM)loetar44 Wrote:  I have some questions, hoping someone out there can help.

(1) Does someone know when exactly the four bronze statues, representing artillery, infantry, cavalry and navy, were placed at the tomb? I have conflicting data, but suspect: navy (at the North-East corner) and infantry (South-West) both in September 1877; artillery (South-West) in April 1882 and cavalry (South-East) in 1883 (or was it 1879 ???)

I would refer to JC Power on this one, and double check with the ISJ or the Register. Your dates match with what he says in his book. The last statue to be placed was the Cavalry in 1883.

The interesting thing is that the positions of the statues had changed. This one really confounded me when I was looking at the photos, but back when they had fewer than 4 of the military statues, some of the ones that are NOW at the north side (back) were instead at the south side (front).

I don't have my notes here with me, otherwise I could give you a better answer. But it's interesting to note that the positions of the statues was by no means set in stone. In the NLMA records collection at the ALPL in Springfield you can find some pencil sketches done probably by Mead, showing proposed arrangements of the 4 military statues.

One of my favorite pencil sketches in that collection is the one that shows how to unbox (open this side of the crate first, and so on) and assemble the Naval statue. This was definitely a "some assembly required" type of kit! There was even a well-placed note in the corner reading to the effect of "We tested this for fit several times at the foundry before shipping it to Springfield." In other words, if you can't get this assembled, you're doing something wrong!

Quote:(2) In june 1890 the Illinois Division of Sons of Veterans took steps to place the three allegorical figures of War, Justice and Peace on the tomb, on the level with the statue of Lincoln (placed in October 1874, South side of the obelisk). This was the original design by Larkin Mead: Freedom on the West side, Justice on the East, and Peace on the North. Does someone know why this was never done? The total cost of these three figures was estimated $15,000

You just said why this was never done: cost. :-)
When this issue came through the Illinois Legislature in the late 1890s, there were two possible options: the one without these additional statues, and the one with. And they chose the less expensive option. The figures were to be of granite. The problem is that legislature only appropriated $100,000 for the 1899-1900 reconstruction and the estimated cost of rebuilding the monument with these figures would have put the cost above what had been appropriated.

Quote:(3) I’m looking for (a) photo(s) of President Grant at the dedication of the tomb on October 15, 1874. Can someone help?

Do you have reason to believe that such photos exist? The only image I can think of with Grant is the one from around 1868, and it's a lithograph of Grant at the temporary tomb.