Wiliiam Penn
Artifact ID1982.00889.01
Object Type
Sculpture
Gifter
The Wills Group
Artist
Alexander Milne Calder
(American sculptor, 1846-1923)
Date
1982
Medium
Metal (brass)
Dimensions5 in. (12.7 cm)
Physical DescriptionA miniature brass-plated sculpture of William Penn modeled after the original statue by Alexander Milne Calder. The bottom of the sculpture's base is engraved with text stating, "tricentennial 1682-1982 OFFICIAL STATUE WILLIAM PENN HERITAGE WEEK IN PHILADELPHIA CENTURY IV 0001."Historical NoteSculptor Alexander Milne Calder won a competition in 1875 to create the large bronze sculpture of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, that stands atop Philadelphia's City Hall. Standing at over 37 feet tall, it is the tallest portrait sculpture on top of a building in the world. For 90 years, no building in Phildephia was built taller that the hat on the sculpture. Smaller versions of the statue were commissioned in 1982 to celebrate the tricentennial of William Penn's first purchase of land in America on July 15, 1682.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteThe item was a gift from a member of the general public to President Ronald Reagan during the Reagan administration. It was received through the Executive Office of the President Office of Correspondence and maintained there until its transfer to the National Archives in January, 1989 for deposit with the Reagan Presidential Library.
National Archives Catalog CollectionRecords of the White House Gift Unit (Reagan Administration) (National Archives Identifier 6816362) and
National Archives Catalog SeriesGifts from the General Public (National Archives Identifier 6816363)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestricted
Use Restriction NoteReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)