White Rabbits

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In 1893, while the Chicago World Columbian Exposition was preparing to open, sculptor Lorado Taft was assigned to produce the numerous statues and other architectural embellishments that were to adorn the Horticultural Building, designed by architects William LeBaron Jenney & WB Mundie. As the date of the opening grew closer Taft realized that he would not be able to complete the decorations and discovering that all the male sculptors to be had were already employed elsewhere. So he asked Burnham if he could use women assistants, an occurrence that was virtually unheard of at that time. Burnham's reply was that Taft could, "Hire anyone, even white rabbits, if they can get the work done." Taft, an instructor of sculpture at the Chicago Art Institute, who had many qualified women students and who frequently employed women assistants himself, brought in a group of women assistants who were promptly dubbed "the White Rabbits." From the ranks of the White Rabbits were to emerge some of the most talented and successful women sculptors of the next generation. These were to include:

Besides the work that the White Rabbits did on the Horticultural Building several of them were to obtain other commissions to produce sculpture at the Exposition. Among these were Lawrence's statue of Columbus, placed in front of the Administration Building, Yandell's Daniel Boone for the Kentucky Building, Bracken's Illinois Greeting the Nations in the Illinois Building and Mears' "Columbia" for the Wisconsin Building.

[edit] References

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../w/h/i/White_Rabbits_43bf.html"