Seward Come Home

A little intel ops has located a larger-than-life-sized bronze statue of William H. Seward that is slowly in route to Alaska. It appears to have found a theoretical home in the Anchorage airport. I have made the first steps in an attempt to "swoop" it.

Worst case we could get a copy recast from the original for presentation in some appropriate venue in Seward. Maybe we could move his arms to a different presentation and stick him in a fresh shirt. It could be our little dirty secret, the tourists will never have to know. I am just hoping that Treadwell will be around and up to the task.

What I am REALLY wanting is a lifesized cast of the original pioneers with horses landing on the beach with the Santa Ana. Or at least John Ballaine and his more intimate party and a couple horses. I would settle for John and a horse, but don't let that be public knowledge.

And the Balto that got ripped off from the Jesse Lee Home.

And the Russian Phoenix for the New Land Memorial.

I am just a bronze statue happy art lover, because they require minimal maintenance, last forever, and have a great visual impact when they are either lifesized or oversized. The mini-birds on the poles in the harbor don't cut it for a girl whose first bronze was Anchorage's lifesize whale at Third and K.

Happy, happy, happy. But for now, I am setting my sites on Seward. I have been told that the Seward Statue stands seven feet high on a nine foot pedestal in Volunteer Park in Seattle.

If the current mayor, Greg Nickels, gets voted back into office this fall, there is a little sweethearts deal for Seattle to send Seward north as part of a goodwill gesture in 2009 in conjunction with the 100 year anniversary of the Alaska Yukon-Pacific Exposition and the 50th anniversary of Alaska statehood. The Anchorage Downtown Rotary has been working in conjunction with the "big" Seattle Rotary to pull off this feat of great strength.

Rumor has it that Nickels is hoping for some goodwill from the Alaska Delegation on some legislation, and prefers the statue be relocated to a place where it makes for lots of positive Seattle PR traffic....he was thinking the Anchorage airport.

Apparently William H. Seward's grandson, Ray Mersinger (sp) has already assured the Seward family blessing on moving the piece to Alaska.

I advised Jim, our local rep on the project, that we had lots of pretty little sweet spots that could use a bronze. The new RR pocket park in the small boat harbor, the possible new park at the end of the new boat harbor land, we could move the Benny Benson Memorial to the Jesse Lee Home and stick Seward by the Lagoon, Hogen Park, a little spot by the new library/museum, Mary Lowell Center...we would find/create/discover an appropriate high traffic location if we had the opportunity. Hell, we could put it at our airport and it would be the only art there!

According to the Seattle Parks & Rec website, which I am hoping our Parks & Rec will visit because their site looks significantly more professional than our site, the Seward Sculpture and pedestal was crafted by Richard Brooks of New York. The statue was originally a feature of the 1909 Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition held on the US grounds, and was moved to Volunteer Park in 1910. (Bailey Peninsula was purchased in 1911 - later named Seward Park). The sculpture was financed by public subscription, sponsored by GG Beninghauser (jeweler), Meany, McGraw, et al.