An American Totem Pole

Emily Clayton Bishop

A regular part of the course work in Charles Grafly's sculpture class was the design of public monuments. These works were finished to scale and included a base and a likely architectural setting. Bishop executed a number of these works and this one is one of her best. "An American Totem Pole," represents the history of the United Sates in five stages of allegorical figures. Grafly and other contemporaries borrowed the image of the winged figure at the top.
Date of Birth
(1883-1912)
Date
1907
Medium
Bronze with brown and green patina; cast after 1912
Dimensions
32 5/8 x 4 1/2 x 5 1/8 in. (82.8675 x 11.43 x 13.0175 cm.)
Accession #
1969.10.1
Credit Line
Gift of Marjorie D. Martinet and Beatrice Fenton
Category
Subject