Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson
in 1903
Born	Theo Alice Ruggles (1871-01-29)January 29, 1871 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	October 29, 1932(1932-10-29) (aged 61) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Nationality	American
Known for	Sculpture
Spouse(s)	Henry Hudson Kitson (m.1893-div.1909)

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson (born January 29, 1871 – died October 29, 1932) was a famous American sculptor. She was also known as Tho. A. R. Kitson and Theo Alice Ruggles. She created many important statues and monuments across the United States.

Her Early Life and Artistic Journey
Amazing Achievements in Sculpture
Sculptures at Vicksburg National Military Park
Later Life and Famous Works
Exhibitions at World's Fairs
Selected Important Sculptures
Images for kids
- Relief Portraits at Vicksburg National Military Park
See also

Her Early Life and Artistic Journey

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson, a woman of the century

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. From a very young age, she showed a great talent for art. Her mother tried to enroll her in art schools, but they all said she was too young.

However, one school director suggested she find a private teacher. This led her to study with a talented sculptor named Henry Hudson Kitson in 1886. Theo and Henry fell in love and got married in Boston in 1893. Their wedding was a big social event! They had three children together: sons Theo and John, and a daughter named Dorothy.

Amazing Achievements in Sculpture

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson achieved many amazing things in her career. In 1888, she won a special award called "honorable mention" at the Salon des Artistes Francais in Paris, France. This was a huge deal because she was the youngest woman ever, and the first American woman, to receive this honor! When she returned to the United States, everyone celebrated her success. People wanted to hear her thoughts on everything, from art to fashion.

In 1895, she made history again by becoming the first woman to be accepted into the National Sculpture Society. This was a very important group for sculptors in America.

Sculptures at Vicksburg National Military Park

In the early 1900s, Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson designed many sculptures for the Vicksburg National Military Park. This park honors the soldiers who fought in the American Civil War. She created 73 sculptures there, which is more than any other artist in the park! Most of her works there are busts (sculptures of heads and shoulders) and portraits of the generals who fought on both sides of the war.

Her monument for the state of Massachusetts was the first state monument placed in the park. It was dedicated on November 14, 1903.

Later Life and Famous Works

Theo and Henry Kitson separated in 1909. After that, Theo moved to Farmington, where she continued to work in her art studio. She passed away in Boston, Massachusetts in 1932. Her sculptures are still celebrated today, and her work is featured on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.

Throughout her life, she created many public monuments. Some she made with her husband, and others she made on her own. Her most famous statue is called The Hiker. This monument remembers the soldiers who fought in wars around the turn of the 20th century, like the Spanish–American War, the Philippine–American War, and the Boxer Rebellion. You can find about 50 different versions of The Hiker statue all over the United States!

Exhibitions at World's Fairs

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson also showed her art at big events called World's Fairs.

World's Columbian Exposition (1893): She displayed four of her sculptures at this fair in Chicago. These included "A New England Fisherman," "On the Banks of the Oise," "Portrait Bust of an Italian Child," and "Young Orpheus." She was one of only four women artists who showed more than three artworks there.
St. Louis World's Fair (1904): She won a bronze medal at this fair, also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

Selected Important Sculptures

Here are some of Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson's well-known sculptures:

The Hiker
The Volunteer soldier monument. This statue was first placed in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1902. Copies of it are also in North Providence, Rhode Island, Walden, New York, and Sharon, Massachusetts.
Statue of Tadeusz Kościuszko in the Boston Public Garden.
Mother Bickerdyke Memorial in Galesburg, Illinois.
Sherman Monument in Washington, D.C. She sculpted the round portraits (medallions) of the army leaders who served under General Sherman during the U.S. Civil War.
Monument to the 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment in Goshen, New York.
Esek Hopkins Memorial in Providence, 1891.