Astronomers Monument
The Astronomers Monument in front of
History and design
The Astronomers Monument pays homage to six of the greatest astronomers of all time: Hipparchus (fl. 150 BC), Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543), Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), Johannes Kepler (1571–1630), Isaac Newton (1642–1727), and William Herschel (1738–1822).
In December 1933, the
According to the Los Angeles Times art critic Arthur Millier in 1934, the "original idea" was Foerster's, and he was "responsible for the delicate engineering entailed in pouring a forty-foot concrete shaft."[2] The monument is topped with an armillary sphere, originally concrete, replaced with a bronze piece in 1991.[4]
On November 25, 1934, almost six months prior to the opening of the Observatory on May 14, 1935, a celebration took place to mark completion of the Astronomers Monument. The only "signature" on the Astronomers Monument is "PWAP 1934," referring to the program which funded the project and the year in which it was completed.
See also
- List of New Deal sculpture
- List of public art in Los Angeles
- Isaac Newton in popular culture
- Santa Monica, another large cast-concrete PWAP sculpture in Los Angeles County
References
- ^ "Gordon Newell - Biography". www.askart.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-15. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
- ^ a b Millier, Arthur (June 3, 1934). "Art Withstands Scrutiny of Hard-Boiled Politicians: Planetarium Obelisk, Park Fountain, Other, Massive Works Continue Under F.E.R.A.". Los Angeles Times. p. 2.
- ^ Nichols, Chris (February 26, 2016). "Meet George Stanley, Sculptor of the Academy Award Los Angeles Magazine". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
- ^ a b "Astronomers Monument, (sculpture)". siris-artinventories.si.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
- ^ "Jeff gerner, Astronomer's Monument, Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles". www.publicartinla.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2022-10-15.