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Fountain Girl – by George Wade

Originally created: 1893 [Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition].

Lost sometimes in the 1950s.

 Recreated and reinstalled: 2013,
after 50 years of going missing, recast from a copy of the original in Portland, Maine.

 Location: Lincoln Park south of W. LaSalle Drive and east of the Chicago History Museum.

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It’s story is best told by Julia Bachrach on the website of Chicago Park District..click here..

In the late 19th century the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) urged its members to create public fountains throughout the world to provide ‘Pure drinking water” as an alternative to liquor. The organizations Juvenile Division sponsored the program in which 350,000 children from around the world signed abstinence pledges. Children also donated pennies and nickels for decorative fountain that would be displayed at 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. They raised $ 3,000 and the WCTU commissioned English artist George Wade to create the sculptural fountain.

Wade created a bronze girl with outstretched hands holding a small cup that resembled the Loyal Temperance Union badge from which water trickled into a stone basin below. The sculpture was first installed near the WCTU booth at the World’s Fair in Jackson Park where it provided refreshment to people, dogs and horses. Two years later, the sculpture was moved to the Chicago Woman’s Temple at LaSalle and Monroe Streets. Additionally, three copies of the fountain were installed in London, England; Detroit, Michigan; and Portland, Maine.

Following the demolition of the Chicago Woman’s Temple, the original fountain was moved to Lincoln Park near Lake Shore Drive and North Avenue in 1921. It remained there until going into storage during the 1930s when the site was altered for the Lake Shore Drive reconstruction project. It was reinstalled in 1940 in Lincoln Park just south of the W. LaSalle Drive underpass. In the late 1950s, the bronze figure was stolen and never recovered, but its stone base remained intact over the years.

In 2007, the Chicago Park District, the State of Illinois, the Lincoln Park Conservancy and private donors raised funds towards the project. The bronze figure was recast from the Portland, Maine fountain, and it is now installed on its original base.

 

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 Lost for 55 years. Never found, but recreated, from a copy of the original.

The sculpture was originally created in 1893 and exhibited in World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It’s location changed a few times and in 1940 it was installed in Lincoln Park just south of the W. LaSalle Drive underpass. In the late 1950s, the bronze figure was stolen, never to be recovered, although its stone base remained intact over the years. The original sculpture had three copies installed in London [UK], Detroit [Michigan], and Portland, [Maine]. In 2007, the Chicago Park District, the State of Illinois, the Lincoln Park Conservancy and private donors raised funds to recreate the original from the copy in Portland, Maine. In 2013, the recreated sculpture was reinstalled on the original base in Lincoln Park. The fountain provides water form people, dogs and horses.

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RELATED LINKS

Stories of Lost and Found Chicago sculptures of Chicago … click here..

Chicago, Public Art in Lincoln Park .. click here..
Chicago, Art by Location.. click here..

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