Fountain of Time facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fountain of Time |
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Fountain of Time in southeast Washington Park at the western edge of the Midway Plaisance
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| Artist | Lorado Taft |
| Year | 1920, dedicated 1922 |
| Type | Concrete |
| Dimensions | 7.3 m × 38.66 m × 7.16 m (24 ft × 126 ft 10 in × 23 ft 6 in) |
| Location | Washington Park (outdoor), Chicago, Illinois |
The Fountain of Time, also known simply as Time, is a large sculpture created by Lorado Taft. It is located in Washington Park in Chicago, Illinois, right next to the Midway Plaisance. This impressive artwork is about 126 feet (38 m) long.
The sculpture was inspired by a poem called "Paradox of Time" by Henry Austin Dobson. It shows 100 figures moving past a large figure of Father Time. This artwork was built to celebrate 100 years of peace between the United States and the United Kingdom, which began after the Treaty of Ghent in 1814.
Even though water started flowing in the fountain in 1920, the sculpture was officially given to the city in 1922. Time is special because it was one of the first finished artworks ever made from a new type of strong, steel-reinforced concrete. It is also an important part of the Washington Park area, which is a recognized historic place. Over the years, the sculpture has been repaired many times to protect it from weather and city pollution.
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How the Fountain Was Planned
Many public artworks in Chicago, including Time, were paid for by a special fund. This fund came from a gift of $1 million given by Benjamin Ferguson in 1905. He wanted the money to be used for art that would remember important events in American history.
Lorado Taft first imagined the sculpture being carved from granite or marble. These materials would have been very expensive. The sculpture was meant to be part of a bigger plan to make the Midway Plaisance more beautiful. This plan included adding streams, lagoons, and bridges.
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood, and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans: aim high in hope and work ..."
In 1907, Taft received his first project from the Ferguson Fund to create the Fountain of the Great Lakes. After that, he was inspired by architect Daniel Burnham's famous quote, "Make no little plans." Taft then started pushing for a huge plan to beautify the Midway.
In 1912, Taft's plans were officially shown to the people in charge of the fund. Taft suggested two main ideas for the Midway's theme. His first idea was to honor the World's Columbian Exposition, a big fair held in Chicago in 1893. His second idea was to celebrate 100 years of peace between England and America, which started with the 1814 Treaty of Ghent. Since other plans were already in motion to remember the Exposition, the second idea was chosen.
Taft's first contract from the fund was just to make a full-sized plaster model of Fountain of Time. This model was to be evaluated after five years. Taft first made a smaller model, about 20 feet (6.1 m) tall, which was approved in 1915. He then created the full-sized plaster model, which was 100 feet (30 m) wide and featured a 20 feet (6.1 m) tall Father Time figure.
The installation of this model was delayed because Taft served in France during World War I. It was finally completed in 1920. However, Taft's bigger dream of creating a "Chicago school of sculpture" did not gain enough support. Instead of using expensive granite or marble, the fund only provided enough money for the sculpture to be made from concrete.
Where the Fountain Is and How It Was Built
Time is located in Washington Park, which is part of the Chicago Park District. It's on Chicago's South Side, very close to the University of Chicago campus. Because of its location, the sculpture is considered a key part of the Washington Park Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
This sculpture is seen as the most important monumental artwork in the Chicago Park District, which has over 100 art pieces. Its importance comes from its famous sculptor, its deep meaning, the time it was created, and the design of its reflecting pool. Experts say that Time was the first finished artwork ever made from concrete.
The sculpture is only a few blocks away from Taft's own studio, the Lorado Taft Midway Studios. This studio is now a Chicago Landmark and a National Historic Landmark. Other famous sculptures are also nearby, like Henry Moore's Nuclear Energy, which marks the spot of the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction at the University of Chicago.
The exact size of Time is sometimes described differently, but it is generally said to be about 126 feet (38 m) long, 23 feet (7.0 m) wide, and 24 feet (7.3 m) tall.
Water began flowing in the completed sculpture on September 1, 1920. However, it was not officially dedicated to the city until November 15, 1922. Important people, including the president of the University of Chicago, gave speeches at the dedication ceremony.
What the Sculpture Looks Like
The Fountain of Time is made from a special type of concrete that is reinforced with steel. It was created using a mold with 4,500 pieces and used about 250 short tons (230 t) of this concrete-like material, which included pebbles from the Potomac River. This new material was very innovative for its time. By adding crushed pebbles, artists could make a concrete mixture that was stronger than limestone but cheaper than marble or bronze. The shiny silica from the crushed stones also made the sculpture look beautiful.
The sculpture shows a figure of Father Time wearing a hood and carrying a scythe. He is watching over a parade of 100 figures arranged in a circle, shaped like a pyramid. These figures represent all kinds of people at different stages of life. They are shown moving through life, including soldiers, playful children, and couples in love. Father Time is often described as "huge" and "dominant."
Time celebrates the first 100 years of peace between the United States and Great Britain after the War of 1812 ended in 1814. The idea for the sculpture came from the poem "Paradox of Time" by Henry Austin Dobson, which says: "Time goes, you say? Ah no, Alas, time stays, we go." The sculpture's theme is similar to Shakespeare's famous speech in As You Like It, which talks about the seven ages of man, from baby to old age. Taft's figures show birth, the struggle to live, love, family, religion, poetry, and war.
Most of the figures are general representations of people. However, Taft included himself in the sculpture, with one of his assistants following him. He is shown wearing a smock, with his head bowed. His own daughters also posed as models for some of the figures.
Lorado Taft is known for his books, like The History of American Sculpture, which was the first complete book on the topic. He was also famous for his portraits and large public sculptures, like Fountain of Time. He lived in Illinois for most of his life and worked in the Lorado Taft Midway Studios starting in 1906.
Keeping the Fountain Looking Good: Restoration Efforts
The Fountain of Time was built without special joints that allow for expansion and contraction due to weather. This makes it one of the few outdoor sculptures made of reinforced concrete. Over the years, the sculpture has needed many repairs. In 1936 and 1955, cracks caused by weather were fixed. More work was done in 1966, followed by a rededication ceremony.
Even though the sculpture was regularly maintained, early repair teams sometimes caused more harm than good. They used methods like sandblasting and filling cracks with materials that were too stiff.
By the 1980s, the sculpture was falling apart. Cracks had appeared, details on the figures were worn away, and moisture was damaging the inside. In winter, the fountain had to be covered with a tarp. The weather, air pollution, and even vandalism meant that hundreds of thousands of dollars were needed to fix it.
The Chicago Park District, the University of Chicago, and the Art Institute of Chicago all helped pay for the restoration work. This work included drying out the hollow inside of the sculpture, removing damaged parts, adding a new ventilation system, putting a protective coating on the outside, and repairing the reflecting pool. In 1989, the Park District set aside $150,000 for repairs, and the Ferguson fund matched that amount.
By 1997, after nearly two decades of planning, only the first phase of repairs was done. This included a ventilation system to dry the inside, drainage pipes, and a new inner roof. New plans included building a temporary two-story metal building to protect most of the sculpture from harsh winters and allow repairs to happen year-round. They also planned to strengthen corroded steel inside, fix old patches, and recoat the surface with a special concrete mixture. The city spent $450,000 on repairs that year.
On April 19, 1999, a $1.6 million, two-year second phase of restoration began. Workers repaired cracks, removed mold and pollution, and coated the 10,000 square feet (930 m2) surface. The reflecting pool was not fixed in this phase. The repairs were finished in 2001, and the protective structure was removed the next year. These repairs were expected to keep the sculpture in good condition for 30 to 50 years.
In 2003, the National Endowment for the Arts gave $250,000 to the Park District to fix the reflecting pool. In 2004, the University of Chicago and the Park District Board also contributed money. This work was done in the summer of 2005, and the fountain was filled with water for the first time in over fifty years.
In 2007, efforts began to add lighting to the sculpture. That same year, the sculpture was nominated for funding by Partners in Preservation, a group that helps save historic sites. Although $1 million was available for preservation in the Chicago area, the fountain was not among the winning projects.
Gallery
- ''Fountain of Time'' before restoration
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Front south
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Front isolation
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Front isolation
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Front north center
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Front north
- ''Fountain of Time'' after restoration
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Front south
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Front center
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Front north center
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Front north
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Rear north
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Rear north center
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Rear south center
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Rear south
The Unfinished Fountain of Creation
Time was originally meant to have a sister fountain called Fountain of Creation at the other end of the Midway. Work on this second fountain began but was never finished. The completed parts of Fountain of Creation show figures from an old Greek story about people repopulating Earth after a big flood. These parts are considered Taft's last work and were given to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he went to college.
The four surviving pieces are figures ranging from 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 m) tall. They are now called Sons and Daughters of Deucalion and Pyrrha. Two of these figures stand outside the entrance to the university's Main Library, and the other two are located on the south side of Foellinger Auditorium.
See also
In Spanish: Fuente del Tiempo para niños
