| The Progress of Railroading | |
|---|---|
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| Artist | Louis Saint-Gaudens |
| Year | 1908 (1908) |
| Type | Granite |
| Dimensions | 18 ft (5.5 m) each for 6 figures |
| Location | Washington, D.C.,United States |
| Coordinates | 38°53′49.3″N77°0′23.17″W / 38.897028°N 77.0064361°W /38.897028; -77.0064361 |
| Owner | Union Station |
The Progress of Railroading is a group of public artworks designed by American artistLouis Saint-Gaudens and sculpted by Italian stonemason Andrew E. Bernasconi. The collection of six allegorical sculptures was created between 1909 and 1911, and are currently located atUnion Station inWashington, D.C.,United States. The statues depict Greco-Roman deities and scientists meant to symbolically represent concepts related torail transport in the United States.[1]
On the main entrance facade of Union Station, six granite statues, each 18 feet tall, are placed atop columns that decorate the three archways composing the building's main pavilion. The figures are paired to represent overarching concepts related to rail transportation: the western pair represents the major elemental forces that operate the railways; the eastern pair represents the industries most aided by rail transportation; and the central pair symbolizes the more abstract concepts that allowed the creation of rail travel.[2] Moving from west to east, these six figures and what they represent are:
Each of these statues correlates to a segment of the three inscriptions at the top of each archway, each concluding with an additional statement tying together the three pairs.[1]
The western archway is inscribed:
The center is inscribed:
The eastern archway is inscribed:
Extending on either side of the central pavilion are additional archways, each with two eagles at the top flanking additional inscriptions.[1] The inscription above the westernmost archway is a quote fromSamuel Johnson:
Above the easternmost archway, the inscription is composed of two quotes - one fromWilliam Shakespeare andJohn Fletcher's playHenry VIII, and the other fromJames Russell Lowell:
An additional inscription can be found on the northeastern side of this archway, also composed of two quotes - one attributed toHomer, and the other toRalph Waldo Emerson:
When the Station was being constructed debate erupted regarding "who" the figures would be or represent. Historical American figures were considered, however, they did not fit into theBaroque architecture of the building, therefore allegorical figures were chosen. Many people were consulted regarding what figures to have St. Gaudens sculpt includingCharles W. Eliot, the former president ofHarvard University.[1]
The Progress of Railroading sculptures were surveyed in 1994 by theSmithsonian'sSave Outdoor Sculpture! program and was described as needing treatment.[3]