Hezekiah Augur

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Hezekiah Augur (1791-1858) was one of the pioneers of American sculpture. He was born in New Haven, Conn., the son of a carpenter, in whose workshop he developed his remarkable talent for wood carving. At his father's wish he became successively a cobbler, grocer's clerk, and a merchant, until the bankruptcy of his firm. He then kept a fruit stand, all the time executing wood carvings for his own pleasure. Finally, several inventions, including a machine for making worsted lace, another for carving wooden piano legs, and the well-known bracket saw, relieved him from financial stress and enabled him to devote the rest of his life to his belobed art. On the advice of Professor Morse, president of the National Academy of Design, he took up sculpturing in marble. His marble bust of Chief Justice Ellsworth is in the United States Supreme Court, Washington, and his principal production, two statues of "Jephtha and his Daughter" is in the Trumbull Gallery, Yale University.