Ellen Rankin Copp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ellen Rankin Copp
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| Born |
Ellen Houser Rankin
August 4, 1853 Atlanta, Illinois
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| Died | August 8, 1901 (aged 48) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Art Institute of Chicago |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Spouse(s) |
W. H. Copp
(m. 1874) |
Ellen Rankin Copp (born August 4, 1853 – died August 8, 1901) was a talented American sculptor. She was also known as Ellen or Helen Houser Rankin. Her amazing sculptures were shown at a huge event called the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.
Early Life and Learning
Ellen Houser Rankin was born in Atlanta, Illinois. Her father, Dr. Andrew Campbell Rankin, was a medical doctor. He served as an army surgeon during the American Civil War.
Her grandparents, Jean Lowry Rankin and John Rankin, were famous. They were known as abolitionists, meaning they worked to end slavery. They also helped people escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad in Ohio.
In 1888, when Ellen was in her thirties, she started studying art. She enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago. There, she learned from a teacher named Lorado Taft. She was one of his student helpers, sometimes called "White Rabbits".
Amazing Artworks
In 1890, Ellen Rankin Copp won a special award. It was the first medal for sculpture ever given by the Art Institute of Chicago. This showed how talented she was!
She created two important sculptures for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. One was called "Maternity" for the Illinois Building. The other was "Pele" for the Hawaii Building. The "Pele" statue was very big, standing 24 feet tall. It was even promoted as the "largest statue ever made by a woman."
Ellen Copp also had four more artworks displayed at the Exposition. A bronze portrait of Harriet Monroe was in the Palace of Fine Arts. A bronze portrait of Bertha Palmer was in the Library of the Woman's Building. She also had two smaller pieces inside the Illinois Building.
After the Exposition, Copp traveled to Europe with her son. She continued her art studies in Munich, Germany. In 1895, she showed her sculpture "Strength of Nations" there.
Copp also made portrait busts of important people from Chicago. A bust is a sculpture of someone's head and shoulders. She also created a bust of her grandfather, Reverend Rankin. This sculpture is in the city of Ripley, Ohio. In 1896, she proposed a large war monument for Texas.
Family and Later Life
Ellen Houser Rankin married William H. Copp in 1874. They had five sons, but sadly, four of them passed away when they were babies.
Their surviving son was Hugh Dearborn Copp (1878-1956). After his parents separated, he was known as Hugh Doak Rankin. He also became an artist, famous for illustrating science fiction stories.
Ellen Rankin Copp passed away in 1901 when she was 48 years old. She left behind her estranged husband and both of her parents.
