Daniel Chester French

"The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Memorial"

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) was one of America's great poets. From 1837 until his death, he lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, not far from the campus of Harvard University where from 1854 he was a professor. His home, on Brattle Street in Cambridge, was a frequent gathering place for many of New England's finest writers including Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ralph Waldo Emerson. From July 1775 - April 1776, George Washington was headquartered in this same house.

Following Longfellow's death, his children established a park in Cambridge that stretched from the house to the Charles River. In 1914, a memorial to Longfellow was dedicated, executed by Daniel Chester French in 1913, that featured a bronze bust of Longfellow and low relief scluptures of characters from six of Longfellow's epic poems. The result, set amongst bushes and benches, is a traquil place for contemplation on this great American writer.

Today the Longfellow House is a National Historic Site administered by the U.S. National Parks Service. French's monument has fallen into some disrepair, with several noses of characters having been defaced, graffiti painted on the side of the monument, and overgrown shrubbery cluttering the landscape. Nevertheless, the Longfellow Memorial stands as an important part of French's ouvre and one that nobly enshrines the memory of America's great epic poet.

All photos below were taken by Douglas Yeo in May 2006.

A view of the Longfellow Memorial in situ, taken from the Charles River (south) side of Longfellow Park, looking toward the Memorial and the Longfellow House (which is situated behind the memorial).

A closer view of the Longfellow Memorial. To the left side of the bust of Longfellow are low relief sculptures of Miles Standish, the angel Sandalphon from his "Birds of Passage" and The Village Blacksmith. To the right are The Spanish Student, Evangeline (holding her Bible and Rosary), and Hiawatha.

A still closer view of the Longfellow Memorial, from the east side.

A view of the bust of French's bust of Longfellow. Above his head the word "Poet" is carved in a laurel wreath. Birds have made Longfellow a frequent target.

A closer view of Miles Standish, Sandalphon and The Village Blacksmith. The names of the figures are carved below their feet.

Detail of the upper torso of Miles Standish, Sandalphon and The Village Blacksmith.

A closer view of The Spanish Student, Evangeline and Hiawatha.

Detail of the upper torso of The Spanish Student, Evangeline and Hiawatha.

A view of French's Longfellow Memorial from the west, showing graffiti spray painted on the side.

A view of the Longfellow Memorial from the north, showing the back of the monument as it is set into a hill.

Return to the Daniel Chester French: Sculptures In Situ page.

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