Statue of Henry Bergh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Statue of Henry Bergh |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Artist | James H. Mahoney |
| Year | 1891 |
| Dimensions | 270 cm (108 in) |
| Location | 4500 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee |
| 43°02′20.38″N 87°58′10.11″W / 43.0389944°N 87.9694750°W | |
The Henry Bergh statue is a cool bronze sculpture by American artist James H. Mahoney. You can find it at the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This statue shows Henry Bergh, who was very important for starting the humane movement in the United States. He is holding a cane and gently petting a dog with a bandaged paw. The statue was made in 1891 and stands 9 feet (about 2.7 meters) tall!
Contents
Discovering the Henry Bergh Statue
This statue by James H. Mahoney shows Henry Bergh from head to toe. He is wearing a long coat, a vest, pants, and boots. He holds a cane and pets a dog that looks like it might be hurt. The statue stands on a granite base. The base has the words "HENRY BERGH" carved into it. It also says "American Bronze Co. Chicago Illinois" on one side.
In 1941, a round plaque was added to the base. This plaque says "The Wisconsin Humane Society." It also has a United States seal with a ribbon and a star. This was added to celebrate the statue's 50th anniversary.
Who Was Henry Bergh?
Henry Bergh grew up in a rich family. He finished college in the 1830s. Later, he became a diplomat, working for America in Saint Petersburg, Russia. While there, he saw how cruelly drivers treated their horses. When he came back to America, he noticed that people here also treated horses badly. They made horses pull very heavy loads.
Bergh then traveled to England to learn about their humane society. When he returned to America in 1866, he started the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This group later grew into the American Humane Association in 1877. This new group helped both animals and children.
The Wisconsin Humane Society was started in 1879. Richard D. Whitehead was its leader. He asked for this statue to be made and raised $14,000 to pay for it. The statue was placed in a busy area called Market Square on April 29, 1891. There was a big ceremony to celebrate. White pigeons were released, and a pony was the first to drink from a water trough near the statue.
The statue was first put on top of an animal watering trough. This was in downtown Milwaukee's Market Square, close to where City Hall is now. This happened soon after the 25th anniversary of Bergh starting the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Where Has the Statue Been?
The Milwaukee City Hall was built in Market Square in 1895. This made the area around the Bergh statue even busier. By 1941, not many horses were seen in Milwaukee anymore. So, people decided to change the watering trough into a flower bed.
Since then, the statue has moved several times. It first moved to the Wisconsin Humane Society in 1966. This happened because a bank wanted to build a new building where the statue was. The statue was too heavy to move across Milwaukee's bridges with the watering trough. So, it was moved without the trough.
The statue has moved with the Wisconsin Humane Society as the society changed locations over the years. Today, it stands in front of the Humane Society's building on West Wisconsin Avenue. The Wisconsin Humane Society's website says this is the only known statue of Henry Bergh in the United States.
Statue's Current Condition
The statue was cleaned and fixed up in June 2013. This work helped to make it look good again.
About the Sculptor, James H. Mahoney
James H. Mahoney was the artist who created this bronze statue in 1891. He also helped create another important artwork. This was the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Images for kids
-
The Henry Bergh statue in Milwaukee.
