Adelaide Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adelaide Johnson
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| Born |
Sarah Adeline Johnson
September 26, 1859 Plymouth, Illinois
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| Died | November 10, 1955 (aged 96) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | St. Louis School of Design, Giulio Monteverde |
| Known for | Sculpture |
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Notable work
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Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, U.S. Capitol |
| Spouse(s) |
Frederick Jenkins
(m. 1896–1908) |
Adelaide Johnson (born in 1859, died in 1955) was an American artist. She was famous for her sculptures. Many of her artworks are shown in the U.S. Capitol building. Adelaide was also a strong supporter of women's rights. People called her the "sculptor of the women's movement" because she created art to honor women who fought for equality.
About Adelaide Johnson
Adelaide Johnson was born Sarah Adeline Johnson in Plymouth, Illinois. Her family lived on a farm and didn't have a lot of money. She went to a country school. Later, she took art classes at the St. Louis School of Design.
In 1878, she changed her name to Adelaide. She felt this new name sounded more exciting. She moved to Chicago and earned money by selling her art. In 1882, she had a serious accident. She fell about 20 feet down an elevator shaft. She was badly hurt.
Adelaide sued the building owners and won $15,000. This money was a lot back then. It gave her the chance to travel to Europe. She studied painting and sculpture in Dresden and Rome. In Rome, she learned from a famous sculptor named Giulio Monteverde. She kept an art studio in Rome until 1920.
Adelaide showed her artwork at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This was a very big world's fair. She displayed her Portrait Monument and a sculpture of Caroline B. Winslow.
The most important part of her career was creating a monument in Washington D.C. This artwork honored the women's suffrage movement. This movement worked to get women the right to vote. A rich woman named Alva Belmont helped find money for the sculpture. It was called Portrait Monument to Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony. It was first shown in 1921.
This monument was first placed in a lower part of the U.S. Capitol building. But in 1997, it was moved to a more important spot. Now, it is proudly displayed in the main rotunda of the Capitol.
In 1896, Adelaide married Frederick Jenkins. He was a British businessman. He was also a vegetarian, just like her. He was 11 years younger than Adelaide. Frederick took her last name, Johnson. He said it was "the tribute love pays to genius." A woman minister married them. Adelaide even had sculptures of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton as her "bridesmaids"! Their marriage lasted for 12 years.
After the 1930s, Adelaide's career slowed down. She also had money problems. She often relied on others to help her financially. She didn't like to sell her sculptures for low prices. She felt her art was worth more. Adelaide was known for saying she was 100 years old when she was actually 88. She thought it was good for publicity. When she passed away, her age was reported as 108, but she was really 96. She is buried in Washington, D.C. at Congressional Cemetery.
Her Personal Life
Adelaide Johnson became a vegetarian when she was young. She believed it was wrong to harm any living creature. In 1893, she gave a speech at a big vegetarian meeting in Chicago.
Adelaide didn't follow one specific religion. But she was interested in different ideas. These included Christian Science, spiritualism, and theosophy. She was also a member of the National Spiritualist Association of Churches.
See also
In Spanish: Adelaide Johnson para niños
