Coal Miner (statue) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coal Miner |
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| Artist | John J. Szaton |
| Type | bronze statue |
| Dimensions | 220 cm × 67 cm × 71 cm (85 in × 26.5 in × 28 in) |
| Location | Springfield, Illinois and Indianapolis |
| 39°46′8.33″N 86°9′47.3″W / 39.7689806°N 86.163139°W | |
| Owner | State of Illinois and State of Indiana |
The Coal Miner is a special statue created by the Polish American artist John J. Szaton (1907–1966). There are two of these statues. The first one was made in 1963 for Springfield, Illinois. A copy was later placed on the west lawn of the Indiana State House in Indianapolis.
These statues honor the many coal miners who lost their lives while working in the mines in Illinois and Indiana. The statue is about 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall. It stands on a strong granite base, which is supported by a thick cement foundation.
Contents
History of The Coal Miner Statue
Illinois: Honoring Miners
The idea for The Coal Miner statue in Illinois began in 1963. A coal miner, artist, and poet named Vachel Davis (1898–1966) worked for 15 years to make this memorial happen. The Illinois government set aside $15,000 to build and cast a statue to remember Illinois coal miners.
Davis knew artist John J. Szaton. He suggested that Szaton create a design for the monument. Szaton's design was based on Davis's own 1946 painting called American Coal Miner. The government liked Szaton's first drawing.
After Szaton made a small 18-inch (46 cm) model, which was approved, he got the job to create the full-size statue. Szaton first made a large plaster sculpture in his studio in Tinley Park, Illinois. Then, the statue was cast in bronze. You can still see the plaster sculpture at the Tinley Park Historical Society Museum.
The Illinois statue was officially dedicated in 1964. It stands on the north side of the Illinois State Capitol's lawn in Springfield, Illinois. The dedication ceremony happened on October 16, 1964. Important people like Illinois governor Otto Kerner, Jr. and former speaker Paul Powell gave speeches. The State of Illinois owns and takes care of this statue.
Indiana: A Second Memorial
In 1965, the Indiana government also decided to fund a copy of the sculpture. This was to remember the coal miners in Indiana who had died while working. The Indiana statue was dedicated in 1967. Like the one in Illinois, it is a public artwork. The State of Indiana, Department of Administration, owns and manages this statue.
Years later, in 1986, Szaton's wife gave the original full-size plaster sculpture to the Tinley Park Historical Society. Many smaller copies of the monument have also been made. The coal industry has given over 200 of these as gifts.
About the Artist: John J. Szaton
John J. Szaton was born in 1907 in Ludlow, Massachusetts. He learned from a famous Illinois sculptor named Lorado Taft. Taft invited Szaton to Chicago after meeting him during a lecture tour. Szaton became well-known for his sculptures.
He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the National Academy of Art in Chicago. Szaton also worked on projects for Taft and other artists. This included the Lincoln Trail State Memorial. In the 1940s, Szaton created several other sculptures:
- A War Memorial (1940) in Chicago.
- Indian Shooting the Stars (1947) for Lane Tech High School in Chicago. This honored students who died in World War II.
- Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (1947) for Cedar Park Cemetery in Illinois.
Szaton continued working at Taft's studio until 1947. Then, he moved his family to Tinley Park, Illinois. He worked as a greeting card engraver during the week because art commissions alone did not earn enough money. In 1948, Szaton built a large studio behind his home. He continued to work on art projects there.
In 1963, Szaton worked with artist Vachel Davis. They turned Davis's painting American Coal Miner into a lasting statue. Szaton's 7-foot (2.1 meter) bronze statue, The Coal Miner, is now his most famous work. He died in 1966 and is buried in Cedar Park Cemetery, Calumet Park, Illinois.
The Coal Miner Statue Details
How the Statue Was Made
The statue was first shaped in plaster. Then, it was cast in bronze. The Illinois statue was finished and dedicated in 1964. The Indiana statue was cast later, in 1966, and dedicated in 1967. Both statues were cast at the Spampinato Art Workshop foundry in Chicago.
What the Statue Looks Like
The Coal Miner statue is about 85 inches (216 cm) tall. It shows a male figure wearing overalls, boots, a belt, and a long-sleeve shirt. He also wears a miner's hat. He stands in a relaxed pose, with his left foot slightly forward.
In his left hand, he holds a miner's fire safety lamp, also called a "bug light." His right hand is raised, holding the bottom of a miner's pickaxe. The pickaxe rests on his right shoulder. The sleeve on his right arm is unbuttoned and hangs open. He wears a special miner's hat with its battery pack clipped to his belt.
The artist's signature, "John Szaton, Sc.", is on the left side of the statue's base. A foundry mark, "Cast by Spaminato Art Foundry Chicago, Ill. 1966", is also on the base.
The square granite base is about 3 feet (0.9 meters) tall. The front of the base has a bronze plaque. This plaque shows a large mining crane working in a strip mine. A cement foundation, about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) thick, supports the base.
The Plaque's Message
The plaque on the back of the Indiana statue's base reads:
- Without coal the marvelous social and industrial progress which marks our civilization could not have been achieved. But the production of this vital commodity, so essential to the world's progress, has cost the lives of thousands of "coal miners" in Indiana. It is to the supreme sacrifice of these men that this memorial is dedicated.
This message explains that coal was very important for progress. But getting coal cost the lives of many miners in Indiana. The memorial is dedicated to these brave men.
Statue's Condition
The Indiana sculpture was checked in November 1992. It was added to the Smithsonian American Art Museum's database. At that time, the statue was in good condition. Photos from 2005 showed some white mineral buildup, but this was cleaned off between 2005 and 2010.
