Phyllis Williams Lehmann facts for kids
Phyllis Williams Lehmann was an important American archaeologist. She studied ancient Greek and Roman history and art. She is famous for her work at a special ancient site called Samothrace. There, she helped find a third statue of the famous Winged Victory. She also found missing parts of the well-known Winged Victory of Samothrace statue that is in the Louvre Museum. Phyllis Williams Lehmann was born in Brooklyn on November 30, 1912. She passed away on September 29, 2004, in Haydenville, Massachusetts.
Her Life and Discoveries
Phyllis Williams was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 30, 1912. She loved learning and went to Wellesley College. She earned her first degree there in 1934.
Her journey into archaeology began in 1938. She visited Samothrace, an ancient island, as a student. She was part of a team from the New York University Institute of Fine Arts. She earned her PhD in 1943. The next year, she married her professor, Karl Leo Heinrich Lehmann.
Phyllis Lehmann spent many years working at Samothrace. From 1948 to 1960, she was an assistant director for the digs. Later, from 1960 to 1965, she was the acting director. She stayed involved with the Samothrace project for her whole career.
One of her most exciting discoveries happened in 1949. She found a third statue of the Winged Victory at Samothrace. This statue is now kept at the Archaeological Museum of Samothrace. She also found missing fingers from the hand of the famous Winged Victory of Samothrace statue. That famous statue is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Besides her field work, Phyllis Lehmann was also a professor. She taught at Smith College from 1946 to 1978. She also served as the Dean of Smith College from 1965 to 1970.
She wrote important books about her discoveries. These include The Pedimental Sculptures of the Hieron in Samothrace (1962) and Samothrace III: The Hieron (1969). Her book Samothrace III: The Hieron won an award in 1969. In 1979, she was chosen as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is a special honor for important thinkers and researchers.
Phyllis Lehmann retired in 1970. She lived in Haydenville, Massachusetts, until she passed away on September 29, 2004.
