J. Massey Rhind

John Massey Rhind(July 9, 1860 - 1936) was an American sculptor born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Among Rhind's better known works is the marble statue of Dr. Crawford W. Long located in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington D.C. (1926)

Early years

Rhind began his art studies under the tutorage of his father John Rhind (1828 – 1892), a respected and successful sculptor in Edinburgh. He continued his education with Jules Dalou, who was at that time living and teaching in Lambeth, England. He then moved to Paris to continue his education for two more years. Upon completing his training he considered moving to the United States but was cautioned by his father not to do so because, “There is no sculptural art in America . . .You’ll starve.” Despite this sage parental advice Rhind immigrated to the United States in 1889 and settled in New York City.

Career

In February 1890 John Jacob Astor III died and shortly thereafter a competition to create three sets of bronze doors dedicated to him for Trinity Church, New York was announced. Rhind entered the competition, and, along with Charles Niehaus and Karl Bitter, was awarded one of the sets of doors. After this success he never lacked for work and was to generate a large number of public monuments and architectural projects.

Gettysburg Battlefield

*Alexander S. Webb, 1915
*Abner Doubleday, 1917
*John Cleveland Robinson, 1917
*Francis Barlow, 1922

Public monuments

*John C. Calhoun Monument, Charleston, South Carolina, 1896
*William T. Sherman Monument, Muskegon, Michigan, 1900
*Ulysses S. Grant Memorial, Muskegon, Michigan, 1900
*Grand Army of the Republic Memorial, Washington, DC, 1909
*George Washington, Newark, New Jersey, 1914
*William McKinley National Birthplace Memorial, Niles, Ohio, 1917
*Robert Burns Monument, Barre, Vermont, 1899,
*::Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,1914,
*::Syracuse, New York, 1914,
*::Newark, New Jersey, 1914,
*Bartolomeo Colleoni, reproduction of Andrea del Verrochio’s equestrian sculpture, Newark, New Jersey, 1914
*Philip Schuyler, Albany, New York, 1925
*Alexander Skene, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 1905

Fountains

*’’King Memorial Fountain’’, Albany, New York, 1893
*’’Fountain of Apollo’’, Lakewood, New Jersey, 1902
*’’Corning Fountain’’, Bushnell Park, Hartford, Connecticut, 1899

Architectural sculpture

*Alexander Memorial Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 1892
*Henry King Fountain, Washington Park, Albany, New York 1893
*Cable Building, Broadway and Houston Street, New York City, 1894
*American Surety Building (now Bank of Tokyo), 100 Broadway, figures at 3rd floor level, New York, 1895 (Architect: Bruce Price)
*Astor Memorial Doors, Trinity Church, New York, 1896
*East Pyne, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 1896
*‘’Victory’’ and ‘’Peace’’, Grant’s Tomb, New York City, 1897
*The Corning Fountain, Bushnell Park, Hartford, Connecticut, 1899 bronze and granite, the fountain is 30 feet tall, with a statue of a deer in the middle surrounded by figures of Saukiog Indians, Hartford’s first inhabitants.
*Macy’s caryatids, Macy’s Department Store Building, New York City, 1901
*’’Victory’’ and ‘’Progress’’, quadrigas, ( but with three horses instead of four) Wayne County Building, Detroit, Michigan, 1904
*United States Courthouse and Post Office, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1904
*Federal Building, Providence, Rhode Island, 1908
*Statues of Samuel Colt, Colt Park, Hartford, Connecticut. 1902-06
*Shelby County Court House, Memphis, Tennessee,
*New Haven County Court House, New Haven, Connecticut, 1914 (Architects: William Allen and Richard Williams) Facing the New Haven Green.

References

*Cantor, Laurel M., "Spires of Princeton University: An architectural tour of the campus",Office of Communications/Publications, Stanhope Hall, Princeton University
*Caffin, Charles H., "American Masters of Sculpture", Doubleday, Page & Company, New York 1913
*Craven, Wayne, "The Sculpture at Gettysburg", Eastern Acorn Press, Eastern National Park and Monument association, 1982
*Hawthorne, Frederick W., "Gettysburg: Stories of Men and Monuments", The Association of Licensed Battlefield Guides, 1988
*Kvaran, Einar Einarsson, "Architectural Sculpture in America", unpublished manuscript
*Mackay, James, "The Dictionary of Sculptors in Bronze", Antique Collectors Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk 1977
*McSpadden, J. Walker, "Famous Sculptors of America", Dodd, Mead and Company, Inc. New York 1924
*Murdock, Myrtle Cheney, National Statuary Hall in the Nation's Capitol, Monumental Press, Inc., Washington D.C., 1955
*Nawrocki, Dennis Alan and Thomas J. Holleman, "Art in Detroit Public Places", Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan, 1980
*Opitz, Glenn B , Editor, "Mantle Fielding’s Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers", Apollo Book, Poughkeepsie NY, 1986
*Thurkow, Fearn, "Newark's Sculpture: A Survey of Public Monuments and Memorial Statuary", The Newark Museum Quarterly, Newark Museum Association, Winter 1975
*Whittmore, Frances Davis, "George Washington in Sculpture", Marshall Jones Company, Boston, 1933