Gertie the Duck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gertie the Duck |
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| Artist | Gwendolyn Gillen |
| Year | 1997 |
| Location | Milwaukee |
| 43°2′19″N 87°54′37″W / 43.03861°N 87.91028°W | |
Gertie the Duck is a famous symbol of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is also the subject of a 4-foot tall bronze sculpture created by American artist Gwendolyn Gillen. This sculpture was placed on the Wisconsin Avenue bridge in September 1997.
Gertie's amazing story about hatching her six ducklings became a source of hope for many Americans. This was especially true near the end of World War II, when people were tired from the war. Gertie's story was shared daily in the local newspaper for 37 days. It captured the attention of people in Milwaukee, then the state, and eventually the whole country.
Gertie's Amazing Story
Gertie's story began in April 1945. A writer named Gordon MacQuarrie from the Milwaukee Journal newspaper reported something special. He found a mallard duck nesting on a wooden pole under the Wisconsin Avenue bridge.
Gertie laid nine eggs. She stayed on her nest even though many visitors and drivers stopped on the bridge every day to check on her. People started sending Mother's Day cards to the duck! The Boy Scouts even formed a "Gertie Patrol" to help watch over her. An officer from the Wisconsin Humane Society also helped keep an eye on the nest. Eventually, six of the nine eggs hatched into cute ducklings.
How Gertie Became Famous
More and more people became interested in Gertie. News services shared MacQuarrie's stories across the country. Gertie and her nest were photographed by local newspapers like the Journal and the Milwaukee Sentinel.
She was even featured in Life Magazine and had a front-page story in the United Kingdom's Daily Express. Reader's Digest magazine published a story about Gertie called "The Duck That Made Milwaukee Famous."
Despite challenges like floods, storms, and even a fire near her nest, Gertie and five of her ducklings survived. They were then put on public display in the windows of the nearby Gimbels department store. More than 2 million visitors came to see the famous duck family! Later, the ducks were moved to the Juneau Park lagoon on Milwaukee's lakefront.
The Gertie Sculpture
The Gertie the Duck sculpture is a 4-foot tall bronze statue of the famous mallard duck. It was created by sculptor Gwendolyn Gillen. The sculpture cost $15,000 to make.
It was given to the city of Milwaukee by the Eppstein Uhen Architects firm. The sculpture was installed in September 1997. You can find it on the northwest side of the Wisconsin Avenue bridge, which crosses the Milwaukee River in downtown Milwaukee. This sculpture is part of a collection of art displays called RiverSculpture!.
Images for kids
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A promotional picture for Gertie the Great
