Description
2.7 m tall bronze statue on a 10-foot granite pedestal. On the sides of this pedestal is a relief of a rising sun with respectively the dates VIII.III. MCDXCII [3 August 1492], the date of Columbus' departure from Palos, and X.XII MCDXCII [12 October 1492].
On all sides the foot shows an egg-shaped figure, the meaning is unclear to me.
Inscription(s)
Front of the pedestal:
to
christopher columbus
the citizens
of
easton and vicinity
oct xii mdcxxx
On the back side of the pedestal a plaque commemorating the re-dedication of 1992:
this monument is re-dedicated to
christopher columbus
"a man of faith, hope and vision"
to mark the 500th anniversary of columbus'
discovery of america 1492-1992
It stands as a tribute to Columbus and to all the Italian immigrants who
contributed toward this monument during the 1920s. Also to all immigrants
from all nations and their descendants that call the City of Easton and the
Easton Area their home.
Re-dedicated by the
City of Easton, Pennsylvania
[names]
and by the
Easton Northampton County Columbus
Organization, Inc.
[names]
The restoration of this monument was sponsored by the above organization in
cooperation with the City of Easton and a Pennsyvania State Senate grant
obtained by State Senator Jeanette Reibman.
Easton Finishing Works
Restoration Contractor, Diane Reynolds, Prop.
Re-dedicated
Columbus Day - October 12, 1992.
On the side of the pedestal, the monument is signed:
19 © 30
C. DONATO
SCULPTOR
Annotation
The imposing sculpture of Christopher Columbus in Easton means a lot to many of the area's Italian-Americans. Their forefathers erected the statue in December 1930, honoring the Italian navigator and explorer once credited with discovering the New World in 1492. Each year for almost 70 years, the proud, majestic-looking, bronze figure is rededicated around Columbus Day, Oct. 12, to honor Columbus by those faithful to the tradition.
Sculptor
- Giuseppe Donato (1881-1965), American sculptor.
Sources & Information
- The National Italian American Foundation, Tributes to Christopher Columbus in the United States (no longer available in the original form).
- Photos: Don Kelly, 2 September and 12 December 2006. See donXfive's photostream on Flickr. Don took especially for me several photos of details of the monument. They are in his Flickr-photostream, search for "Columbus".
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, SIRIS (Smithsonian Institution Research Information system).
Tags
Locatie (N 40°41'31" - W 75°12'18") (Satellite view: Google Maps)
Item Code: uspa08;
Added: 16 December 2006
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