Leif, the Discoverer (Whitney) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leif, the Discoverer |
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| Artist | Anne Whitney |
| Year | 1887 |
| Type | Public Art, Sculpture (bronze, red sandstone) |
| Dimensions | 240 cm (96 in) |
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| 43°2′39.258″N 87°53′50.911″W / 43.04423833°N 87.89747528°W | |
Leif, the Discoverer is a cool bronze statue of a famous Viking explorer named Leif Erikson. It was made by an American artist named Anne Whitney in 1887. You can find this awesome statue in Juneau Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
About the Statue
This statue shows Leif Erikson, a brave explorer. The figure is about 8 feet tall, which is pretty big! The statue itself is made of bronze. It stands on a large base made of red sandstone.
Leif is shown looking into the distance, shading his eyes. He looks young and doesn't have a beard, which is different from some other pictures. He wears a special shirt made of scale armor. This armor has cool designs on his chest and a belt with studs.
Underneath his armor, he wears a tunic and leggings. He also has leather sandals on his feet. He carries a powder horn over his shoulder. A knife in a fancy sheath hangs at his side.
On the sandstone base, there's an important message. It says: "Leif, the discoverer/ son of Erik/ who sailed from Iceland/ and landed on this continent/ A.D. 1000." There are also runic letters that say: "Leif, son of Erik the Red."
Statue's Story
There's an original version of this statue in Boston, Massachusetts. The Milwaukee statue is a copy of that one. It was put up in November 1887.
The person who gave the statue, Mrs. Joseph Gilbert, asked for no special party. So, there wasn't a big dedication ceremony when it was first put in place.
Years later, on April 26, 2003, something new happened. The Sons of Norway Fosselyngen Lodge held a ceremony. They celebrated adding lights to the statue! This lighting cost $3,800.
The money for the lights came from a gift left by Duane Olson. He was a member of the lodge. Adding the lights was a team effort. The Sons of Norway, Milwaukee County, and the city of Milwaukee all worked together. Before the lights were added, the statue's base had some cracks and wear.
