Description
Waist-length portrait of Christopher Columbus holding his gloves in his proper left hand and his helmet in his proper right hand. On the front of the granite base is a bronze relief plaque adorned with an eagle and an American flag.
Inscription(s)
COLUMBUS
columbus
triumphant on his entry
to barcelona
spain
following his
return from the discovery
of the new world
april 9, 1493
(on back of granite base:)
christopher columbus
monument
dedicated october 12, 1953
(names of memorial fund officers, committee members, and park commissioners)
(on face of eagle relief:)
this memorial pioneers in initiating and symbolizing a national movement for the americanization of columbus day in the united states. thousands of patersonians of all racial origins by their voluntary contributions made this truly american tribute to the discoverer of the new world possible
Signed: Gaetano Federici Sculptor 1953 / Bedi-Rassy Art Foundry NYC
Annotation
Refurbished statue unveiled By MICHAEL CASEY, Staff Writer
Friday, May 5, 2000
PATERSON -- After spending most of its life at the doomed Christopher Columbus Housing Development, a bust of the project's namesake has found a new home in Eastside Park.
City officials on Thursday unveiled the newly refurbished bust of Columbus in a ceremony hosted by Mayor Marty Barnes. The statue -- designed by the famous Paterson sculptor Gaetano Federici -- will remain in the park.
"We needed to find a new location for this statue and Eastside Park is the perfect place," Barnes said.
The statue is the pride of the Italian-American community. Until the Christopher Columbus development was emptied last year, Italian-Americans would gather at the base of the statue to begin their annual Christopher Columbus parade.
But over the years, crime in the development took its toll on the statue. Last year, the statue's bronze plaque was removed and the bust was knocked over.
City officials responded by putting the bust in storage and refurbishing it. A plaque commemorating the original dedication of the statue, which was stolen several years ago, will be recast and installed at a later date
Dedicated Oct. 10, 1953. Relocated 1985. Rededicated Oct. 12, 1985. Formerly located Eastside Park.
Sculptor
- Gaetano Federici (1880-1964), sculptor.
Sources & Information
Tags
Locatie (N 40°55'0" - W 74°10'31") (Satellite view: Google Maps)
Item Code: usnj08;
Added: 11 August 2003
/ Updated: 20 November 2010
© Website: René & Peter van der Krogt
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