American Gargoyles: Spirits in Stone 0609606859

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AMERICAN ARGOYLES STONE SPIRITS IN

DARLENE TREW CRIST

)

PHOTOf;

R

Ah'Hb BV

ROBERT

S22.50 (Canada; $54-50)

AMERICAN GARGOYLES STONE

'ir

SPIRITS IN

American Gargoyles: essay on the

many

Spirits in Stone

is

the first pictorial

gargoyles found in the United States,

featuring unique stories and breathtaking full-color

photographs of these monstrous but delightful "angels «ith

a

sense of humor."

A number of books

cased the medieval gargovles of

have show-

Europe, but nexer

before has one been dc\otcd to the thousands of go\'les that peer

down from American

buildings.

CC

ijar-

Lcud

CO CO

or ferocious, holy or humorous, these astonishing carv-

CO .13.

ings are distinguished by fine artistry, vivid imagination,

and

spiritual m\stery.

American Gargoyles puts us

winged

griffins,

fallen

angels,

facc-to-facc with

the

and damned souls of

Washington's National Cathedral, as well

as

.00 g

those

00 o GO

adorning the Woolworth Building and the Cathedral of St.

John the Di\

inc in

Ncu \brk Citw

Princeton Uni-

versity the Universit\' of Penns\'l\ania, Tribune in

Chicago, Grace Cathedral

in

Toucr

San Francisco, and man\-

other buildings. Robert Llewellyn's glorious photographs reveal the craftsmanship of the artisans and sculptors

who

created these works.

With Darlenc Trew Crist

s

fascinating explanations

of the \arieties of gargo\'les, stories about their histor\'

and creation, and extensive resource information, including websites. American Gargoyles makes ing case for looking up as

America

s cities.

we walk down the

a

convincstreets of

\

00

'^

AMERICAN

GARGOYLES SPIRITS IN

STONE

DARLENE TREW CRIST Photographs

b \

Robert Llewellyn

CLARKSON POTTER/PLBLISHERS NEW YORK

^nfn^

Text copyright

©

2001 bv Darlene Trew

Photographs copyright

©

2001 hv Robert Llewellyn

Photographs on pages 40 and 41 copyright All rights reserved.

4

Crist

© 2001

No part of this book may be

by Jon Golden

reproduced or transmitted

in

any form or by any means,

electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission

in writing

from the publisher.

Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, Nev\' York,

Member of the Crown Random House,

Inc.

New

York.

'

Publishing Group.

New

York, Toronto, London, Sydney, Auckland

www.randomhouse.com

CLARKSON

N.

Random House,

I

POTTER

is a

trademark and

POTTER

and colophon

are registered

trademarks of

Inc.

Printed in China

DESIGN BY JANE TREUHAFT Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Pubhcation Data Crist, Darlene Trcw.

American gargoyles:

spirits in stone / by

1st ed. Includes bibliographical references I.

Gargoyles

United

States.

— United I.

States

729'.5

—dc2I

00-058475

ISBN 0-609-60685-9 10

987654321

First Edition

and index.

—Themes,

Llewellyn, Robert.

NA3 503.AI C75 2001

II.

Darlene Trew Crist; photographs by Robert Llewellyn

motives.

Title.

2.

Decoration and ornament, Architectural

TllW^

CONTENTS

FORF-,WORI)

1

Spirits in

8

Stone

I 3

2 Not Quite Gargoyles 37 3

f

Sacred Scarecrows 63

4 Humor on High 93 1^

5 In

Man's Image 115

AFTERWORD 138

RESOURCES 139

RECOMMENDED READING 141 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 142 INDEX 144

—

— i

i

FOREWORD This book,

primer on Ameri-

a

can gargoyles,

is

designed to

inspire vou to look

up rather

down when walkmg along

than

city street.

a

Bv changing your

gargoyles.

Sound

and great fun

many unique

silly? It

We

A

was

brief overview of terms will

found

be helpful before we share our

carvings and inter-

journey into the world of Amer-

at that.

ican gargoyles.

We

technical definition of a gar-

took some circuitous routes

odds

through the bowels of major

goyle

you

will be surprised at the

buildings, from Gothic cathe-

figure of

number

of strange, fascinating,

drals to cathedrals

vantage point only are

and

generally

carved

slightly,

weird-looking

creatures

you've

that

been missing.

Robert

such in

a

truh'

as the

of commerce,

Woolworth Building

New York

tops.

Llewellyn,

The

esting buildings along the way.

City, to get to their

Once we

destinations,

arrived at our

we had the good

with a

a

is

traditional

"a grotesquely carved a

human

or animal

spout that projects from

roof gutter and throws rain-

water clear of the building" in

other words,

a

decorated

downspout. I

gifted photographer

made and

I

who

We

has

fortune of seeing major metro-

alive,

politan areas from heights that

gargoyles as well as gargoyle

traveled across the United

usually only ironworkers and

look-alikes, or,

roofers get to experience.

grotesques. Grotesques don't

these pages

come

States looking up in search of

have included here true

more

accurately,

have water

mouth

spouting from

a

or other orifice; other-

wise, thev can hardlv be distin-

from

guished

their

carved

by the people

classification, each carving tells

selves,

storv

carved detail, sage, or

on

a

how

it

its

its

through

its

implied mes-

came to be placed

building.

who

see

them

which we have used

ularly,

liberty

unique

names

carvings have been given

technical

a

Many of the

We

provide as

much mformation on

the carv-

ot

appearance

ing's

or

The

sites

we

explore in these pages offer gar-

goyles either of unique interest

here.

or in such abundance that an

naming them our-

based on either

serve as your guide.

reg-

For others, we have taken the

cousins, gargoyles.

Regardless of

interpreted visually.

a carv-

what

it

outing to see them

worth the time.

We

will be well

uncovered

a

menagerie of gargoyles from the following places:

represents.

We city

hope you

strolling

will

change your

style

after

you

read American Gargoyles and dis-

many amazing

ings as possible, but because

cover the

of their very nature, detailed

ings

records were often not kept. In

appear on buildings throughout

such cases, their stories are

the United States. Let this

that

^Washington National Cathedral

—This

breathtak-

inglv beautiful cathedral in our

the clear win-

carv-

nation's capital

is

seem to magically

ner in terms of

number

book

goyles on one building

of 112.

of gar-

—

a total

IP-

Uninersity of Chicago

We

could show only

a

—

sampling

carvings on this architectural

intricate carvings appear ever\'

masterpiece.

four feet on the buildings that

oi the hundreds of unique carv-

surround

^ Cathedral Church ings located throughout this large

top of the "Cathedral ot

merce" on Broadwav

B-

—

few surprises exist near the

York

in

Com-

New

We

included the Cathedral of

i^

Tribune Tower

should take

a

ley ride to the

Nob

St.

John the Dn'ine

York

City, even

m New

though

it

has

no true gargoyles, because has

many

it

masterfully carved

mandatory

^ trol-

top oi fashion-

Hill to see the

Gothic monolith

—This

in

downtown

Chicago pays homage to the

power and

financial strength

the American press, while

of

its

exterior decoration pokes fun at the role of the press

society in which

—

Visitors to San Francisco

lO

John the Dixine

grotesques.

City.

Grace Cathedral

able

—

St.

and lovelv urban campus.

i^WooLwoRTH Building A

it.

of

it

and the

functions.

University of Pennsyl-

\ANIA

—The quadrangle

Penn

m

at

Philadelphia was

§^

Calvary United

Methodist and First

designed to replicate those of

Presbyterian Churches

old European universities, and

\'isitors to

—

Pittsburgh will be

—

pleased to see that successful

On

a

personal note, pulling

tion.

I

am beholden

many

to

American industrialists

together this book has been an

donated some ot their mone\'

enriching experience.

to decoratins? their churches in

honor and

elaborate and delightful wavs.

the opportunity to talk with

aficionados

many

of

shared their knowledge of and

carvers

who

#•

Princeton Unixersitv

Rich architectural

detail

—

It

was an

privilege to have

the

sculptors

had

and

people across the country

ers,

manag-

building

archivists,

and gargoyle experts and

— who

so

kindly

created the featured

enthusiasm

learned from these

with me.

they captured their

to be in the

company of so many

who

my

about

gargoyles

congargoyles.

I

It

was

a great

pleasure

fronted us at everv turn on artisans

Princeton's

campus

in

New

how

Jer-

creativity sey.

and turned

it

into

share

appreciation for

In spite oi our best ellorts

magical stone creatures. Their to stay focused

talent

we threw

in a

what, in

reality, are

merely deco-

on gargoyles, and

skill

deserve far

more

rated downspouts.

To

a

one,

few photographs they are gentle souls with

recognition than they receive.

and stories of grotesques,

This book also could not because they were too fabulous have been completed without

a

to be overlooked.

generous sharing of informa-

sense of humor.

a

ISP

IN

I

R ITS

STONE PRIMinxi: ART FORM. SYMBOLIC ornamentation. Fanc\' dov\nspouts.

Gargoyles are

§^ First

lure

used

all

m

of these and more.

medieval Europe to

pagans into Christian churches,

gargoyles

made

eventually

their

way across the Atlantic Ocean

as

immigrant stone carvers brought their talents with

them

to the

New

World. Today, gargoyles can be found on

a

wide variety of Ameri-

can buildings

— from

stately neo-

Gothic cathedrals to ivy-covered university dormitories to towering

skyscrapers

—

as well as in

homes,

13

ofHces, and gardens, or on key chains, necklaces, and tattoos as good-luck charms.

with gargoyles

many

in

is,

move rainwater away from are

fun to look

they

ways, a

a curiosity.

make us ponder

fascination

Gargoyles are drainpipes. Their technical kmction

structure. That's not very exotic, but people

They make us wonder how and why they were placed on

at.

Our

still

a

love gargo\'les.

is

to

Thev

particular building. And,

their meaning.

To understand our present-day

i

fascination with this ancient art form,

it

helps to look at the evo-

I

lution oi gargoyles. Decorative waterspouts ha\'e a fine and long tradition of the earliest examples were found

where

lion's

withm

m

the building arts.

Some

the volcanic remains of the city of Pompeii (a.D. 79),

heads and animal shapes were used to conceal waterspouts. Both the Greeks and the

Romans used animal-shaped cursors to the "true

"

stones as decorative waterspouts. Those primitive versions were the pre-

or carved gargoyles that date

RIDGEBACK DRAGON

from the

early twelfth century.

(previous page)

Like the terrifying creatures that stand guard over Christian cathedrals, this menacing dragonlike creature stands guard over the

merce of

'

shortiv after

monev and

stores

made him

tower above

14

\ision.

all

a

its

Woolworth Building

opening

in

191

3,

Frank W. Woolworth,

household name and

a

the a

in Nev\'

York

Cu\'.

Woolworth Buildmg

the "Cathedral of

Com-

testimon\' to the earthlv

power

Dubbed is

farmer v\hose merchandising concept of f ive-and-ten-cent

fortune, wanted a building for his corporate offices that v\'ould

others and be as impressive as any in the world.

m

^

The word ^argovle throat.

Giirooiiille is

is

derived from rhe French

gargoitillc,

whose Latin

means

vooz, gargula,

also connected to the French \erb gargariser, "to gargle,

"

which otlers

a

gullet or

more

col-

orful description ot the garc^o\le"s real mission.

Two

colorful legends explain

Gargouille,

annual

a

visits,

how

gargoyles ended up on churches.

the drac^on

Gargouille's demands.

ily

involves La

first

dragon who was said to have regularU' terrorized the French town of Rouen.

demanded

of the townspeople a virgin maiden, although

not. he was given a convicted criminal instead.

return, the

The

A

priest arrived

upon

townspeople would huild and jom

As the storv goes, the

villagers

On

more often than grew tired of La

the scene and promised to subdue the dragon

his church.

Doubting

its

if,

in

his chances for success, they read-

agreed and the priest set off to confront the dragon.

I

Shortly after leaving town, the priest came upon La Gargouille. Using the sign of the cross and other Christian powers, he quickly subdued the beast, then led the docile dragon on a leash back to

Rouen. Wanting to ensure their permanent freedom from their oppressor, the townspeople burned La Gargouille

at

the stake.

The

lifelong habit of breathing

beast's head

fire,

and neck did not burn, however, undoubtedly due to

which had toughened

its

skin.

The townspeople mounted

charred remains on their newly constructed church as a symbol of victory over set in

stone

when

a

dragon w

as carved

on the exterior of the cathedral

at

evil.

its

these

This story was

Rouen, where

it

can be seen

to this day.

15

The of'

Celts are the source of

their prev served a dual

a

second legend. Renowned hunters, the Celts believed that the heads

purpose

—

attractma luck and repelling

evil.

To

magical powers, the Celts mounted the heads on sticks and placed them

homes. This practice was

later

take advantage of these in a circle

expanded to include hanging such "dead heads

'

directly

around their

on buildings

in their settlements.

Earlv Christians in search of converts placed gargoyles on churches to entice pagans

much-needed future parishioners

some

—

carvings without officially condoning

power of

this ploy

was enhanced by the

as the

Regardless of

pagan

how

belief

it,

It

their

of^

fear-

churches would seem more invitina. The marketing

fact that

had even greater impact than they do today.

and influence

was thought that bv replicating the pagan use

inside. It

—

most people could not

was

a

read, so

images and symbols

strategy that worked. Churches grew in

s\stem and many of

its

number

images were absorbed into Christianity.

on buildings made

gargoyles evolved, the practice of placing "dead heads

its

way through the ages and across the Atlantic Ocean. They have been created using the same tools and virtually the

ceives an

same techniques since

ima^e and makes

a

their arrival

model of

stone. In rare instances, a stone carver

tion directh-

The

The

it,

which

may

is

these shores.

then used by

a

Most

of the time,

a

sculptor con-

skilled carver to carve the piece in

be given the go-ahead to create

a

piece from his imagina-

on the stone.

relationship between sculptor and carver can be likened to that of

result of their collaboration,

whether wicked or

cathedrals, churches, and buildings in America.

16

upon

a

composer and musician.

hol\- in nature, is richly

represented on select

F 1

,\

1.

I.

ho

N A

E

of a cluirch "for n.uion.il

ido.i

included as oarh'

in I'lorrc

.is

hundred

NOEL

I

7*-)

I

.

l.hnl.mt hnt

it

s

One hundred and

t\\el\e ^^argoxles,

Cathedr.il. In the f980s. sculptor

One

Ja\'

no two

Bodle\', Henr\- \'aughan, Philip

who

perilousU' clings to

ejected from heaven for stealing.

The

carving,

Its largest.

gests that earthl\-

is

e\ ils

as a

"House

of Praver for

and

St. Paul

grace the exterior of

was

laid in

1907-

Washington National

Hall Carpenter designed ele\en of the last gargo\les, including eight

this angel,

of

of'Sc. Peter

alike,

e.\actl\-

ro realize this vision.

the foundation stone for the Cathedral

People,

Church

C"ic\'

took ('ongross more than one

Hubert Irohm.m, and others all

plans for ihc Icdoral

\'ears to ^^rant a ch.irrcr

Designed bv George

purposes" was

can emerge even

m

done

in

a tree,

1987

b\-

holding the two halos for which he was

Matthew Girard and Kurt H.

Kiefer, sug-

the afterlife: this angel pa\'s the price for his sins bv being caught

forever between heaven and earth.

UPSIDE-DOWN

H

Li

MANO D I

Washington National Cathedral

receives

no

pLiblic

funding of anv

kind and was built entirelv with private contributions.

them with

of encouraiTincT donations was to link

the building as

it

One method

specific features of

was constructed. This gargoyle was donated

memorv

of Frederick Lear Frver,

Faulkner,

who was

a

member

a

in

partner of architect Averv

of the Cathedral Buildin^;

Committee.

This sculoture was designed bv Tvlden W. Streett, one of twelve

winning contestants

in

the cathedral's

1959—60 Gargovle Design

Contest. Reportedlv Streett sculpted the naked humanoid creature upside

down

so

it

could be seen bv more than

Guarente carved the

piece, v\'hich

"God and

was installed

m

birds."

John

1975.

17

p

GRIFFINS OF WASHINGTON

NATIONAL CATHEDRAL Grittins, l.intascical creatures that are halt eagle and half lion, have

graced Gothic cathedrals tor centuries. The\' were placed on churches to

ward ott ship.

e\il

and pre\ent dark forces from entering sacred spaces of

This tradition was carried on

which was huilt tresses

at

v\or-

Washington National Cathedral,

m the decorated Gothic st\le of architecture.

and the sheer force of gravitv support

its

I

FK'ing but-

50,000 tons of hand-

carved stone and magnificent stained glass. Included as part of the cathedral's collection of carvings

demonstrate the amazing

is a

spectacular array of griffins, which

indi\idualit\' of artistic expression in the

creation of aaraoN'les.

DRAGON GRIFFIN When ceeded

funds at a

v\'ere

available,

work pro-

rapid pace at Washington

National Cathedral and record keeping often took second place to actual construction efforts. As a result, the sculptor, carxer,

are

and date of particular pieces

sometimes not known, which

case for this griffin. All that

about

its

creators

is

seen in

is

the

is

known

its

design

and execution. The gargoyle depicts an intricately carved dragonlike ture v\ith wings, ears, horns, and, interestingly, a

comb on

its

nose.

crea-

BISHOP'S The

GARDEN GRIFFIN

sculptor ol this dragonhke creature with wings, ears, scales, fangs, and claws was also not recorded.

John Guarente carved the his technique.

This

is a

piece,

and

it

reflects the precise style

fine representation

of a

and

clear detailing that arc characteristic oi

classical griffin.

HORNED GRIFFIN Carver John Guarente clearlv had of

20

a lion,

and

a

small horn atop

a

its

knack tor head.

griffins.

The

This magnificent winged creature has fangs, the paws

sculptor for this piece was not recorded.

21

22

ATTACK GRIFFIN another example of car\er John Guarente's hne craltsman-

This

is

ship.

Dra^onhke

head ol guish

it

features were added to

a lioness. Its scaled reptilian

from other

gritlins.

The

a

winged creature with the

claws and small wings distin-

sculptor

oi"

the piece was not

recorded, but according to other sculptors inter\iewed at the cathedral,

Guarente's talent as

role in the quality

a

carver

meant that he played an important

of the finished piece.

23

HORNED DEVIL For

cathedral of

a

its

size

and complexity, Washington National Cathedral was built

at a

frenzied pace.

Many

medieval cathedrals took, twice as long to complete. From the time the foundation stone was laid in

1907

until the final stone

human

effort, time,

was

and talent

set v\'as

atop the southwest tower eighty-three years

later,

an amazing

amount

required. Private donations were an important part of the equation,

of

mak-

ing continued construction possible.

Donors were often sought

to support the creation of the cathedral's stonework and sculptures; this

devilish carving, installed in 1975, was

Constantine adding

The horn

24

a

Seferlis,

richly

who designed and

adorned basket of

gentle image of the basket at the

is

fruits

made

carved the piece, incorporated their surname into his design by

and vegetables on the underbelly of the sculpture for

in direct

top of his head, he carries

a

possible by funds donated by Helen and Leland Gardner

contrast to the

pitchfork.

evil devil:

depicted as

a

human

all

with

to see.

a single

E\IL

NOT LISTENING

Roscmar\- Lee was Cathedral's

a

\ouna woman when she submitted

1959—60 Gargo\le Design Contest. Her

the cathedral, one larger than the other. Carved in Its ears is said to represent

"evil

h\-

a

winning design to the Washington National

desisjn

was iiltimateK" used to create two gargoyles on

John Guarente,

rcKisina to listen to the

this

Word

of

haU-human

figure with hngers stuck

God.

25

26

J2

R E

F

L"

S

1

WORD

XG

THE

OF

GOD

No: wanting ot

God

or otherwise

depicted

— —

to listen

subject

is

creature uses the

Word

ot

its

commonK'

a

are

\-\crc

on the theme:

variations

Word

Washington

on

National Cathedral,

to the

three

leh, a lionlike

human hands

God. .Above

creature that looks like

to block

right, a large

a

winged dog

w ith oversize teet and e\es appears to

be refusing to look at

quences ot goyle

Its evil

wavs.

may have heard

the conse-

The

the

third gar-

Word

ot

God

but responded inappropriateh'. This

naughty pelican look-alike, with hat and wings,

is

depicted with

smirk that represents hear the

Word

ot

God.

its

a

mocking

refusal to

DEXILISH CHARACTER 1905. the present First Preshvterian

Dedicated on Palm Sundav

in

Church on Sixth Avenue

Pittsburgh

in

fourth building to stand on the

site.

The

is

actually the congregation's

heirs

of William Penn. founder

of the colonv of Penns\lvania, donated 2.5 plots of land to the congregation in 1787. As the congregation grew in number, ever-larger buildings

were constructed on the

site,

which

is

now

literally in the

center of

down-

town Pittsburgh. Thirteen ^argovlcs dot the facade of front.

Shown

here

is a

cathedral-like English

Gothic

devilish-looking gargoyle that protrudes from above

an intricatelv car\cd turret.

28

its

SMii.ixc^, The

C

i-:oiv\Rn

I.

.\\n jhsus

m

M.uili.utan was constructod

phases

upper

.ulicdial ot St. Jolin tlu- l)i\im- in tliroo

dittcrcnr

licl-war period and remains nnlm-

o\ci" a

ishcd toda\'. Financial sliorthills,

a

lack ol skilled

crattsmcn. two world wars, and chancres

in leader-

contribmed to

this slow-

ship and priorities

liav e all

ooing process. How.trd Quirk,

author ot the explains,

"Its

latest

histor\-

a

of

tour

i^iiide

and

rhe cathedral.

incompleteness matches that

ol

humankind.

The

cathedral

is a

rich

comhination ot Roman-

esque. B\zantine. and Gothic architectural st\les.

1892.

In

tirm

a

design hv the

Hems &

New

^'ork architectural

LaFarge was selected from

one hundred, and the cornerstone was tial

laid.

field of

An

ini-

phase of Romanesque st\le makes up the east-

ernmost portion of at

a

601

feet

this cjrandiosc cathedral,

which

the longest in the world.

is

Noted sculptor Gutzon Boralum was awarded the contract to sculpt that

s^jrace

more than

se\ ent\-five pieces

the interior and exterior of the elaborate

structure, including the one pictured here. His

car\ings are

a

remarkable e\ocation of different

moods. The creature on the

left

has

a

protectne

posture, while the one on the right projects peace

and benevolence

\ouna

jesus.

as the\'

both stand watch o\cr

ANGEL

ANGEL

B\

John Angel (I88I — 1960' was an west facade of the Cathedral of

St.

artist

of some renown when he was awarded the contract to sculpt the

John the Divine

in

New

1925 to 1947. he presided over the mtricate carvmg of

York Citv. For the next

literally

t\\

entv-tw o vears. from

thousands of pieces, including the angel

pictured here.

Born and educated of

Cram and

in

England. Angel came to the United States

Ferguson, the architectural firm that altered the look of the cathedral to

Angel's work at the cathedral brought him commissions from

found

at St. Patrick s

Cathedral

in

New

York

Washington, D.C.: the Presbyterian Church

New Hampshire; and

30

at the invitation of

Cit\-:

in

all

Ralph Adams Cram a

more Gothic

stvle.

over the country. His sculptures can be

the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in

East Liberty. Pennsylvania: St. Pauls School in Concord,

the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Minnesota.

REPTIllW WITH WINGS Niches on ni\ ine in

C'athcdral ot St. lohn the

ctic

New

Cu\

M">rk

Pictured here on the

in^ ot a

a

is a

hllod w ith myr-

and inodcrn-da\' heroes.

iad saints. niart\rs,

the cathedral

.ire

Romanesque portion

ot

mastcrtiilK' executed car\-

bird with the intertw med teatiires ot

and do^. standing guard over the

reptile

statue ot Joseph in the niche helo\\. Sculptor

Gutzon Borijlum Borglum

s

created these pieces.

contract tor se\ent\-tive pieces

was huge, and the task was compounded bv his pertectionist nature, great talent, and,

some

teistv

sa\',

temperament. At one point,

he threatened to discontinue his work unless

something was done to improve the car\ing. In a letter to architects

Januar\- 24.

Hems &

LaFar^e on

1907. he wrote; "The work

is

assuming such proportions, and the character ot

mg,

IS

It

that

deteriorating rather than improv-

some

radical

change

in

methods

reproducing m\- work must be adopted

work

IS

it

ot

the

to continue."

Borglum was ^iven the control he sought.

Much

ot the

work he thought unacceptable

was redone, and

a

shop was

set

cathedral grounds so he could

up on the

more

supervise the execution ot his work.

easily

GODS CREATURE Atop

.1

campus building

that originally

housed the gcolog\' and gcograph\' departments

of Chicago, and surrounded bv birds and beasts, the angel to an otherwise decidedh' secular hinlding w ith

believed there was

more

to

life

a

shown above

secular mission.

One

left

brinas

a

at the Uni\ersit\'

sense of spiritualit\'

can onl\- assume that

than the subject of earthh- studies. Tins carvincj

is

its

creator

found on Rosenwald Hall,

which was designed bv the architects William Holabird and Martin Roche and erected

in

1915-

THE DE\'IL Henr\' Ives a

Cobb designed

campus plan based on

developed

a collegiate

si.\

the Uni\ersitv of Chicago and his influence

quadrangles grouped around

Gothic architectural

a

He

laid

out

seventh, which provided for a unified theme.

He

stvic to replicate the

is still felt

there toda\'.

ambience of such highU' respected Euro-

pean unnersities as Oxford and Cambridae. Different architects were selected to desii^n indi\idual campus buildings, which pro\ided \ariation intricate car\inas

32

on the

exteriors.

One

in stvle. X'isual interest

such de\ilish character

is

was further enhanced bv pictured above right.

a

plethora of

MOS

E S

lion roprosontin^

iiianelnients at

H

COMMANDMENTS

TEN A

A\ D TH

Moses holds

the Ten (~om-

atop the Leon M.indel AssembK Hall

the L'ni\ersit\' ot Chica>^o. Below

Moses

intricate carvinc; cjuaranteed to keep e\ a\\a\

trom the prophet and

Named

il

lies

.m

seekers

his messao;e.

C,hica>^o

merchant.

Mandel Hall has pl.ned an important

role in the

cultural

after its donor,

lite

a

ot the Universit\' ot Chicai^o. Its

thousand-seat theater has been the

site ot

man\-

pertormances. incUidinsj the Chicago S\mphon\' Orchestra, w hich

tirst

pla\ed there

ovation was undertaken in 198 tacilit\'

to

Its

acoustics and

orio;inal beautx' si»jht lines,

I

in

I

904-

A

ren-

that restored the

and enhanced the

makinc^ the interior as

interesting^ as the exterior.

33

BATS IN THE BELFRY' Tribune Tower on Micliigan Axenue can press. To mark

its

m

downtown Chicago

se\entv-Hkh anniversary

national design competition to build "the

design in

ol"

architects John

competition for

Howells and

a

$50,000

34

belfr\', is

1922, the Chicago Tribune newspaper launched an inter-

most beautiful and distinctne othce building selected from

m

the world."

a field

of

26 5

The

entries

av\ard.

Hood combined

the efficiencies of

One

top of the thirt\'-si\-stor\' structure. the

stunnina Gothic celebration ot the Ameri-

Mead Howells and Ra\'mond M. Hood was

mentation of Gothic structures.

m

in

is a

a

modern skvscrapcr with

of the striking aspects of their design

The tower with

its

the beautiful lines and ornais

arches and spires, and

cvocatne of the medie\al churches that inspired the design.

the decorated tower at the

its

sculpted car\ings of bats

35

NOT QUITE GARGOYLES GROTESQUES ARE OFTEN CONFUSED with gargoyles because of their sim-

daritv

ter.

m

OnK'

ever pays

material and subject mat-

a

true gargoyle aficionado

much

attention to the dif-

ferences that separate one from the

other, tor they are

more

a

function than of form,

put. a gargoyle

is a

matter oi

i^

Simply

decorated down-

spout that directs water away from

its

in

building through

Its

mouth

a

drainpipe

or another orifice.

Grotesques lack the internal pipe of gargoyles, but

do serve

a

in

some

instances

water-carrying function

37

bv directing water over their hedds, although this usually grated plan to keep water awav from

The

key difference between

decorative; thus, thev are

carving of

a

ing cousins,

found

a

a

Other terms

are

gargoyle and a grotesque

a

IS

Todaw

in a

the generic term used to describe

(pr e\

mi.x.

A

The French

boss,

tial

heads on

Mount Rushmore

First, the carving

was modeled

material hardened, the

in

a

all

carving of something

raised area used as ornamentation,

of these decorative features

a turret

on the Cathedral of

Next,

mold was chipped

such replicas as visual guides during the

38

later

at St.

is

gargoyle.

Few viewers

St.

John the Divine

a

m

in

upper

the compan\-

John and went on to sculpt for

gained national prominence for sculpting the presiden-

South Dakota. Borglum designed

in clav.

gargoyle kiss-

weird or surreal shape.

Gutzon Borglum apprenticed

He

is a

distinguish between working

Manhattan. The arotesquc carvings appear to stand guard over the sanctified grounds

Princeton Uni\ersit\' (see page 85).

grotesque

iols page)

menagerie of beastlikc creatures festoons

of the archangel Gabriel. Sculptor

A

like their

call cktmercs. If a chituhr is a

grotesque.

a

when carved

TURRET OF TERRIBLES A

than are gargoyles.

is

more lighthearted manner.

are often carved in a friendlier,

referred to as

also considered a grotesque

part of an inte-

that a grotesque's primary function

group of weird animals. But,

gargoyles and pureK' dccoratnc carvings, which they it is

is

in a greater variet\' of locations

used to describe this grotesque

stranac or supernatural,

more happenstance than

structure.

weird or supernatural animal or

modern grotesques

is

mold was made and

his carvings in a three-part process.

filled

with plaster of Paris. After the

awa\' to reveal an exact replica of the clay model. Car\ers used final step of car\ing in stone.

take the tunc to

make

the distinction, nor onl\- because oi a general lack of architectural knowled^^e,

but also because each decorative feature shares serve ro break

up the

lines oi

massne

enijavjina

ties carried

on within the interior ot

building and thus help dehne the structure bv

Woolworth Building

molded and

is

a

book were car\ed

ot limestone,

and make

fired.

in

New

York were cast from

At Calvary United Methodist Church

taae of local materials and carved the grotesques

in

its

activi-

purpose.

most of which came

quarr\' in Bloomino;ton, Indiana; occasionalK', other niaterials were used.

i^rotesques on the that

and their counterparts

structures; the\' also add visual interest to exteriors

ma]orit\' oi sculptures featured in this

from one

attributes. Gargo\'Ies

and aesrheticallv pleasing. Moreover, man\' modern carvings depict the

them more

The

common

For example, the

terra cotta, a cla\'like material

Pittsburgh, builders took ad\an-

from Cleveland bluestone. Lead-coated copper was

used to create the carvings atop Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

The

materials used determine the longevity of the carvings. Acid ram, which causes pitting,

roundina, and erosion of the sculptures, threatens those visible

on man\' of the

ers, for

2;argoyles in the northeastern

made

of limestone.

United States. Some

These

effects are already

are at greater risk than oth-

the rate of deca\' depends on the specific composition of the stone used and

sure to the elements. Thus, carvings that are

more

its

actual expo-

sheltered fare better than those on the unprotected

edges of structures.

This chapter includes

a variety

of carvings that are not true gargoyles in order to illustrate

how

they are both different from and similar to the "real thing."

39

W Y\

E

R

GRACE CATHEDRAL

X S OF

At the top ot San Francisco

Grace Cathedral,

Dame

117

Nob

Hill

neighborhood stands

and Amiens. Eight identical grotesques encir-

cle the lantern IS

fashionable

design inspired hv the thirteenth-centurv French

its

cathedrals of Notre

s

portion of the central spire, or tleche. which

feet tall

from the roof

ridge,

making

the tallest

it

Gothic-style fleche in the western United States.

The grotesques two-legged feet

wmged dragons of medieval

long and

Thev

represent wyverns (pronounced wiverns^,

I

'/i feet tall

are depicted leaning

where

it

legend. Each

meets the

mam

4^/2

structure.

forward on their talons w

ith

back-

"One can think

swept wings as though about to take

flight.

of wvverns

whose job

as sort of 'holv pit bulls."

is

is

to dispel

the evil forces, lightning, plague, war, and other calamities that m.av threaten the cathedral

D. Lampen, archivist

at

and

city," explains

Michael

Grace Cathedral. The protective

power of such mythological creatures

is

a

concept that pre-

dates Christianity; similar figures were found on the prows

of \'iking long ships. Lew

IS

Hobart was the

original architect for the cathedral,

although the architectural firm of Weihe, Frick and Kruse

oversaw the completion of construction and worked

dili-

aenth' to ensure that the original design was followed.

Con-

struction on the cathedral began in 1927. but the fleche

remained

a

stump

until

1963, when

lantern and top shaft into position.

It

a

huge crane was used to

was

at this

lift

the

time that the grotesques

were fabricated from lead-coated copper by Fire Protection Products of

San Francisco and added to the

40

exterior.

41

MYTHICAL MONSTERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA More than 450

cjroresqucs,

more accurarelv

Designed

tories ot the Universit\' of Pennsxlvania in Philadelphia.

of

Cope and Stewardson.

the firm sent the

a

the quadrangle was

surve\or to England

campus buildings

there.

\\

Wanting

ambitious plan to place gargo\des

m

found on the quadranc^le dormi-

referred to as bosses, can be

modeled

in the

after those of

l890s bv the architectural firm

Oxford and Cambridge. Reportedly,

ho concluded that gargo\les were an to be true to the Gothic st\le.

fourteen-inch squares

e\er\'

integral part of the character of

Cope and Stewardson developed

four feet along

a

an

building that measured

one-fifth of a mile in length. In explaining his preference for a medieval architectural st\le. Walter

expresses aspiration, growth, development.

." .

.

Cope

wrote. "Gothic architecture

In his \ie\v. these goals appropriateh- reflected the mission

of the unnersitw although his opinion was not universalK' held. Critics at the time charged that the quad-

rangle was contrived and lacking in focus. Others had high praise for the architect's work; for example.

Christian Briton,

The was

a

a

contemporarw

task of creating and carving the

three-step process.

Henry

cited the

F.

work

450

as "the

redemption of college architecture

in .America."

grotesques was gargantuan. From concept to execution, each

Cope and Stewardson provided rough

charcoal sketches of every image. Sculptor

Plasschaert then used these sketches to prepare life-size clay models from which the carvings were

made. Carvers August Zeller and William John Kaufman

and went to work. Each piece took about three days to

set

up the models next to

their limestone blocks

The process allowed

for significant artistic

carve.

interpretation alono the way. w hich ultimateh' added richness, varietw and intricac\' to the original designs.

The grotesques

that adorn the quadrangle dormitories depict everything

the scholarly to the worldK', the athletic to the ailing. ease of comparison and to

42

show

the

many and

Those pictured

\aried wa\'s college

life

from the sacred to the profane,

here are

dnided into categories

was depicted

in the earh*

1900s.

for

—

Two

readincT students

—one

characterize and satirize the Its

a

human, one

hne

a

rabbit

art ot stud\'in^, or

a\oidance.

43

PERFORMERS

FISHERBOY WITH HORN A

half

bov— half

fish nonchalantlv

blows

a

horn.

Note

the level oi detail oi this carving, from the w

ell-

defined biceps to the exaggerated eyebrows to the look oi ease as the fisherboy blows notes into the w ind.

GIRL WITH SQUIRREL Pied piper or not? In her endeavor to make music, this grotesque has attracted the attention of an admir-

mg

D

E

\'

squirrel.

I

L

I

S

H C

L

OW N

Giving the appearance of being readv to leap ofl the building a devil.

44

Viewers are lek to ponder which

trait

at

might dominate.

any moment, this jester has the horns of

45

ATHLETES

FOOTBALLPLAYER This receiver

lias

cau^^lu the pass ,ind

features, such as the ball's laces

46

shows no indication of rchnniiishino the

and the

lines

on the

hall!

pla\'er's t.\cc that define acti\'ity

Note

the exaggerated

and emotion.

DISCUS THROWER This

athlete

jumped nal

appears

to

BALL have

straight out oi the origi-

OU'mpic games. Complete

with curls, flying cape, and discus, the

grotesque seems

reads'

to

charge oii to the next athletic challenge.

HOMAGE

With biceps

GLOBAL SOCCER

this

PLAYER

like these,

grotesque has got

to represent an athlete.

Time and weather have

taken

a toll

Observers are

on the quadrangle carvings

left

guess-

as evi-

ing as to which sporting

denced bv the state ot

this hgure. acti\it\'

The

corrosive effects

of"

requires

such

acid rain

undivided attention. prevent us from knowing for certain

whether this scholar

sits

upon

the globe pondering v\'orld events

or

if

he

is

mereU' an aging soccer

plaver contemplating the secrets of the game.

47

WEIRD MIXES

WOMAN WITH Here face

48

is

LIZARD

an excellent example of the intertwining of

and hands mixed w

ith a reptilian

body.

human and animal

features.

Note

the lizard's \\omanl\-

CiRlM Lite

REAPER and death

are

companions

in this

gruesome

twosome, below. A blind, hooded man londlv caresses

a

skeleton tor

reminder that death

is

to see, ser\ing as a

all

onl\- a

breath

a\\a\-.

CHERUB WITH MAD MONKEY Good and The

e\il are

porcraxed in the abo\e carNina.

\'oung cherub

is

about to lose

its

struaale

w ith an nTiaginar\- beast that appears to be

bination oi

mad monke\' and

a

com-

reptile.

49

SPLIT PERSONALITIES

H U M A N O D BEAST I

Hali" gorilla?

Halt man? Half ram?

No

writ-

ten record exists regarding what this beastly

car\ina ma\' represent. illustrate

This ijrotesque

is

an example of two-

headed carvings found

many of

at the

the quadrangle buildings.

each head strains to keep

on

50

corners of

Its territory.

a

Here

watchful eye

presented here to

the imaginative combination ot

human and animal

TWO-HEADED JESTER

It is

features in a single car\ins'.

\1510NARIES

COPE AND STEWARDSON The

architects

a fool

holding

poked tun a

at

themselves in this carving, v\here they depicted their creative etfort as that of

basket oi apples.

GOLD MAKER A

medieval alchemist

is

captured here

in his

attempt to change base metals into gold.

51

WISE

WOMEN

YOUNG. OLD. AND IN-BETWEEN Ot

special mcerest

them

the characterization oi

women on

until the courts ordered their

admission

\ouna

left to

site sex,

52

is

from

a

air! at

above

in

1

the buildings of a university that excluded

877- Depicted here are three ages oi the "oppo-

an older

woman

at right.

53

-*&

54

..iiii^t ---«••

ST.

JOHN THE DU'INE AND

THE FOL'R HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE A

starue of the cathedral

dral of St.

s

namesake

lohn the Dnine

kv John Ansjel,

who

Apocah'pse, one of

later

added

whom

Like his predecessor,

m New a

undoubtedh'

deceit or

lie in

kill

order

prominentlv featured

center of the main portal ot the Cathe-

in the

York Citv. This ma^^nificent depiction of the theolociian was sculpted

car\ing at the base of the pedestal that depicts the Four

carries a

Horsemen

of the

bomb.

Gutzon Borglum, Angel had complaints about

cathedral. In a letter to architects will

is

Cram and Ferguson

the carxmg profession."

He

dated Ma\'

I

^,

the qualit\- of

he, like

at

the

1947, Angel wiote, "The Unions

went on to accuse union bosses of "stooping to anv

as the\- think; to fa\'our the interests of the carvers

complaints ultimateh- were answered when

workmanship

Borglum some

fift\'

whom

the\'

dominate.

'

Angel's

\ears before him, was given greater

control o\er the final carved pieces.

55

OPENMOUTHED EAGLE The

reality faced

by the architects oi the Woolvvorth Building was that in the early 1900s,

it

was simply

impractical to build a Gothic skyscraper. Construction requirements such as regular steel support beams

and frequent window openings limited the medieval quality of a structure that was to into the look,

on

Cass Gilbert, the building's architect, overcame these obstacles, however, and achieved

air.

a

modern skyscraper through

extensive ornamentation and detailing on

plishment was made possible by his use of terra cotta, is less

rise f"ift\^-five stories

costK'

and more

flexible to

a

its

a

Gothic

e.vtenor This accom-

type of clay that hardens to stonelike strength yet

work with than the stone

it

imitates.

Almost the

entire building

is

co\-

ered with terra-cotta ornamentation. Grotesques project from the twenty-sixth, forty-ninth, and fifty-first floors. Originally, thirty-five gargoyles

remain; the others were removed during

completed

in

in the world.

56

1

protruded from the a

turrets, but because

of deterioration only four

major restoration of the structure that was launched

98 1. A dozen smaller carvings

still

in

1977 and

grace what remains one of the grandest office buildings

MOTHER GOOSE An

iinoxpcctodlv gentle carving appears

on the sitv's

bioloo\- \\inc> ot Princeton Univer-

Guvot

sion brinc^s to

Hall. Its impassive expres-

nimd

the

hiirv-tale tame. Laurel

Mother Goose

ot

Masten Cantor,

director ot creative services at Princeton L'ni\ersir\',

who

has e.\tensi\

el\'

studied

the ^arc^ovles on campus, provides this

interpretation: realU'

let

"The

loose

to

carvers here were create

whimsical

images. All over campus one can see

hov\'

thev had tun w ith the students, protessors,

and academic endeavors taking

place. Perhaps,

hv depicting

a character

trom one ot the stories from which we learn

how

to read, this carving was an

attempt to show students' evolution. Atter

all,

we begin with nurserv rh\-mes

and ultimately go on to Shakespeare."

— PANTH E R Ready CO leap down from

its liigh

Methodist Church,

panther was car\'ed

cdl\'

wore

a

this

perch on Pittsburgh's Calvar\' United b\' a

Texan who purport-

ten-gallon hat while he worked. Except tor his headgear and

his ob\'ious talent, little else

is

known about

the carver, including his

name. General contractor George A. Cochrane hired Clark Brothers

Stone Contractors ot Alleghenw Pennsylvania,

Although the Clark Brothers

project.

—

as stonecutters iov the

John, James, and George

—

cut

the stone, the\' apparentU' didn't have the skill needed to execute the

car\ings so the\' imported the

unknown Texan

to

do the

The

job.

car\'er

worked from drawings provided by the architectural firm of Vrydagh and Shepard of Kansas City, working

Wolfe of Pittsburgh, which was hired tv\'elve v\'ell-executec-l

tuo mismatched

The

B.

Trump

tures.

"

m

I

association with

892

car\ed creatures that decorate the roof around

its

spires are reminiscent of Chartres Cathedral in France.

Wolfe's trek through Europe. Architectural

James D.

critic

described Calvary Church as "a pastiche of medieval fea-

Constructed of Cleveland blucstone, the lovely edifice

The building committee consisted

of

including industrialist Charles C. Scaife,

Durhm Home

to

B.

to design the church. Its

of-a-kind treasure that reflects the affluence of

ment

Thomas

church's conglomeration of stvles v\as allegedlv influenced by

Thomas 'Van

in

store,

and C.

B.

Shea

its

original

is a

one-

members.

many Pittsburgh notables who made

of the successful

his fortune

Joseph

Home

m

steel,

depart-

and others. The committee instructed Vr\dagh and Shepard

come up with

a

design that would reflect well upon their status,

a

goal that was accomplished with intricate detail and ornamentation, thirt\'-foot-high Tiffan\' windows, and

the building's actual role as

58

a

a

grandness of design that belies

small neighborhood church.

59

MORE THAN ANIMALS "I

think the reason that the grotesques on the

exterior of Tribune

have

Tower

some meaning and

are

powerful

tell a

is

that thev

storv that reflects

our culture. The\' also help bring this very building

down

to a

fectly sized to

comfortable,

"

human

humans

scale,

so that

it

making

it

tall

per-

feels innately

explains Blair Kamin, architecture

critic for the Chicago Tribune.

Over the

years, each

orate Tribune cific

of the grotesques that dec-

Tower has come to represent

a

spe-

aspect of the city's culture, or a trait of

its

people, as a few select interpretations reveal.

WISE OLD

OWL

Shown gripping

a

camera, the wise old owl on

Tribune Tower illustrates observation and caution, qualities that are usually acquired with age.

60

PROUD PORCUPINE

IMPO\ERISHED CAT A

cat that

Tower

as a

is

forever captured

beggar with

a

m

stone on Tribune

tm cup

m

the consequences oi improvidence.

hand depicts

A porcupine with

a

horn

m

his

paws appears

neither open-minded nor humble, re\eahng the

fadings

ol:

intolerance and arrogance.

61

SACRED

SCARECROWS THE GARGOYLES OF YORE WERE menacing creatures often placed on churches and cathedrals to offer protection: they served as sacred

scarecrows to ward oii

evil

from the

hallowed places below. They also could be viewed as reminders to the

living of the

consequences of

sin,

capturing condemned souls on their

wa\' to

ing

damnation and forever hold-

them prisoner

in

stone.

some gargoyles were benign

who those

figures

offered good fortune to

who

But

all

entered the churches.

63

Animal aargovles were used to convev spiritual conditions,

used to depict the depicted as

both saintU' and

Luke

a lion,

as an ox,

represented the Holv Spirit and

Many American

sculpture of

York City. The dog model. Likewise,

a

a

a

John

as an eagle,

his

own

fo.ves,

is

and only Matthew was depicted

lamb the son of God.

A

s

A

man.

peacock was the svmbol of eternal

St.

a sinner or a saint; a

poodle was the inspiration for

dove

life.

a

John the Divine bishop's pet corgi

in

New

\\

as its

carving on Washington National Cathedral.

(PREVIOUS PAGE)

leadership of Washington National Cathedral was adept at maximizing

more than eighty

years construction.

mum was a gargoyle design contest held in included a finished model designs for a chance to

1959—60. In

An example

of

tor Constantine Seferlis

s first

limited resources over a

mini-

spite of onerous submission requirements that

mounted on an armature, hundreds of would-be

live in

its

hou costs were kept to

sculptors submitted their

perpetuity on our nation's cathedral. This winged creature with cloven

hooves and sawtooth eyelashes was one of the designs selected. Completed

64

as a

Mark was

medieval counterparts, even where one might expect them to be. For exam-

not believed to represent either

donor

the course of the

and wolves were commonly

representative animal:

dog graces the main entrance of the Cathedral of

FE.MINIXE PIG The

For example, serpents,

represented specific

gargoyles also depict animals, but their spiritual connections are not as direct or

as strong as those of their ple, a

sinful.

Three of the four apostles had

devil.

Some

this entire range oi references.

canings

at the cathedral.

in

1962,

it

was one of sculp-

Locacion and chc passa^^o oi still

spincual connection. Dragons, while

promincntU' featured on cluirches and other religious structures, no longer have the power to the tear of damnation. Likewise, the monke\' carvings found throughout Princeton Univcr-

instill

sit\'

rinic ha\e lessened >^aivo\les

s

campus

are there tor

no other reason than

to s\'mboli7e the

rambunctious behavior of the

student population.

Both modern animal gargoyles and those of the past express human or humanlike characteristics, although time has altered interpretations. Gestures that toda\' would be considered rude, crude, and even lewd were often integral parts of medieval carvings.

prominent feature of ancient

gargo\'les.

More

The tongue,

often than not,

u hich during the medieval period was believed to increase

its

it

for e.xample, was

was depicted

protective

as

a

regular and

being "stuck out,"

power but today would have

an insulting, lewd, or even plavful meaning. Greater sexual expressiveness also existed in earlier animal carvings. In the Middle Ages, gargoyles were frequently depicted pointing to their private parts or proudly displaying their genitalia. In pagan times, sexual organs s\'mbolized fertility and earh' Christians displayed

them on gargoyles

as a

means

to embarrass congregations into chastity. Greater sexual explicitness could also be a result of the carvers

freedom to express themselves

m pieces that would be placed near the tops of buildings, where

few could see the finished products. Today, the lack of sexually explicit carvings

may have more

to

do

with the need for donor approval and corporate image making than social mores.

65

FRENCH POODLE When

given the assignment to carve a gargoyle in the shape of a dog for Washington National Cathedral,

sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter decided on a French poodle because "the poodle's long nose

nent feature. Along with

elegant

its

body shape, the poodle

is a

lent itselt to the fine detailing

good promineeded for

a

"

memorable gargoyle design.

The French poodle (The other

is

the

A

a

its

a slot

lack a traditional

page 96). Before carving was started,

a gargo\'le that

had been rejected alter

place on the building. Drilling a hole into far

too expensive an undertaking. As

running along the top of

carved this piece in situ in I98I.

66

two gargo\les on the cathedral that

a

its

a

it

mouth opening.

gargoyle stone \\as usu-

through to accommodate the lead pipe used tor drainage. But

would have been

ment with

onl\-

Politician; see

replacement for

blank stone took

in place

one of

Crooked

alK' drilled all the \\a\'

poodle uas

is

in this instance, the

was carved but before

it

uas

installed.

block of stone that had alread\' been put

a solution.

Carpenter designed this replace-

head to provide for the necessary drainage. Walter Arnold

Fl.OWHR

DOG

Modi~rn o.ir^ovlcs thc\'

wore created.

Oog

at

icmmI the imm

A good example

W'ashinaton

a

requested

curl\- hair

and

a

a

in

which

is

Flower

Its

anonv-

of this

Washington National Cathedral.

nious donor, lo\er,

inc\it,ibl\'

art historian

and dog

happv, imaginative animal with

flower.

Carl L. Bush designed

a

With

this directive, artist

small, longhaired

dog wear-

ing flowers. Installed in 1969, this gargoyle

is

a "

charming reminder ol the

era's "flower children.

Constantine Selerlis was the

carver.

AFRICAN DOG This gargo\le depicts

renowned

tor

its

a hasenji, a

lack oi a bark.

twelve selected Irom

small African dog

The design was one

Washington National Cathedral's

1959—60 Gargo\le Design Contest. Cannon Kimball based and

is

vears

Artist Elizabeth

her drawing on her

reported to have said. "Just think,

from now, we can look up and

gargoyle!

"

see

down and

a

own a

mv

To which her son supposedly

w ould rather think that

could look

ot

basen]i

thousand \er\'

own

replied, "I

thousand years from now, we

see

it.

'

Constantine Seterlis

carved the piece, which was installed in 1964.

67

68

ROOSTER UNDER ATTACK on Washington National Cathedral,

SitLiatcd

this rooster

seems to be gettuig

hie sucked

its

out n^ht before our e\cs. Carver Constantme Seterlis e.xplamed that the snake represents e\il

attempting

destro\'

to

attention

precise

Seterlis's

Ining

a

detail, evident here, gives his

and

clear identit\-

to

creature.

anatomical

gargoyles both

deHned message.

a

a

Artist

Peter Rockwell designed the piece in 1976.

AMERICAN RATTLESNAKE "Because Washington National Cathedral truh'

American s\'mbol.

A

Both Tidballs

thev have been

acti\'e

an American cathedral,

my

wife and

I

thought

who

jointly designed this carving in

are retired medical school professors

participants at

who

1966 with

taught

Washington National Cathedral

at

his wife, Dr.

e\ening when fog had

pointed to Sa\'re

It

and asked

took us on

a tour.

cathedral's carvings.

The

if

all

for years.

it

I

had ever been to

its

top.

Of

course we hadn't, so the

was easy for him to convince us to make

could

gargoyle:

a

ne.xt

B,

"On

Sayre

day Dean

permanent addition to the

a

ha\-e refused?

block of clay one-quarter the size of an actual gargoyle and set to work. To

evoke the fearsomeness of traditional gargo\'les,

as

a

"

Tidballs were given

visible fangs.

a

M. Elizabeth

but hidden the Central Tower from view, former dean Francis

m\' wife and

At the top,

Who

deserved

George Washington University;

Dr. Charles Tidball recounts hov\- he and his wife were encouraged to donate and design a late fall

it

'Don't Tread on Me' snake seemed to be the perfect choice for our carving,"

explains Dr. Charles S. Tidball, Tidball.

is

the\'

designed their snake

m

attack, with

Car\er John Guarente added rattles to both sides of the piece so that

it

open mouth and

could be identified

an American rattler from either direction.

69

WILD BOAR Washington National Cathedral was sive undertaking.

a

mas-

Unlike other projects of

this kind, a concerted effort

document and catalog

uas made to

the design and con-

struction. Nonetheless, the creators of this

gargoyle in the shape of a wild boar were not recorded. are

much

The in

talents of sculptor

and carver

evidence here in this light-

hearted approach to

a

wild-and-woolly boar.

PERCHERON HORSE The Percheron Horse with

its

corn stalk hon-

ors the rich farmlands of America.

The donor

hailed from the farming counties of

De Kalb

in Illinois.

Kane and

Appropriately, the gar-

goyle was placed on the side of the cathedral that overlooks the Bishop's Garden.

Installed

1970,

in

this

gargo\-le

was

Carl L. Bush and carved bv Fred-

sculpted

b\'

erick E.

Hart under the tutelage of master

carver Roger Morigi. Hart,

a

high-school

dropout, became an excellent carver and sculptor in his

few craftsmen

o\\

n right.

He was one of

who worked

at

a

the

Washington

National Cathedral to gain national recognition for his

70

skill.

GOAT This

^o.itlike creature

ciearlv

on Washington National Cathedral

demonstrates sculptor and carver Constantine

appreciation of anatomy.

gerated

its

He took

an ordinary animal and exag-

features for dramatic effect. Seferlis's philosophy

about ijood gargoyle design fool

Seferlis's

is

that

"\ou

really don't

have to

around much with the perfection of anatomv to make

gargovle that achieves

its

intent

—

that

is,

to scare

someone

a

or

"

make them laugh

.

.

.

ma\'be even

crv.

WEEPING SEA TURTLE A weeping that shares

sea turtle its

and the sad-eved seagull

perch on Washington National

Cathedral graphically depict the threatened state of

our environment. Installed

memory

of an environmentalist

in

1976

who worked

in

for

the protection of giant turtles, this gargoyle

makes

a

direct political statement

m

a

heart-

urenching way. Sculpted and carved by Constantine Seferlis, the piece demonstrates effectiveU- stories can be told rela\-ed

through

this artistic

how

and messages

medium.

71

RABBIT AND SNAKE "Animals are good subjects for aarao\-les because cheir realness gives people something to attach to," says classically trained sculptor

Constantine

Seterlis.

Here,

the rabbit and the snake appear frighteningh- real on

Washington National Cathedral. The his

impending

outcome

STYLIZED EAGLE "In other places at

Washington National Cathedral, the

was pretty

creative process

gargoyles were on

its

v\'ell

controlled. But because

exterior and often high

enough up so

they could only be seen by birds, they offered

opportunity for

a

Hall Carpenter,

a

wonderful

sculptor to express himself," explains Jav

who began

his career at

Washington

National Cathedral when he was seventeen as

a

stone

carver's assistant.

Part of this freedom of expression sculptors' interpretation of

Bush presents style,

his version

panache, and

levit\'

common

of an

evident in the

themes. Here, Carl

eagle.

His has

than do others of

carver of the piece was not recorded.

72

is

its

a bit

kind.

L.

more

The

fate

is

clearl\-

rabbit's terror oi

evident as he awaits the

of the contest between predator and prey.

RAM Conscantine Seterhs designed and carved this wonderkil ram on Washington National Cathedral, and stands as eves,

low

a

hnc example

ears,

ot"

artisanal talent.

and cloven hind

The

sculpture depicts a

it

ram with elongated horns, protruding

teet.

73

COMPOS TE I

Man\- gargo\les are not

S clearl\- identifiable as specific

animals and are perhaps better understood as com-

posite hgures. Like their historical counterparts the gritfin and the \\\vern, these creatures combine parts of animals to

form new ones. The

result

is

an interesting and often amusina visual experience.

FISH Sculpted and carved bv Carl

number

I'

Bush, this gargoyle on Washington National Cathedral, above leh, has

oi readilv identifiable tish features

features, such as its incT

L.

—

scales, fins,

and flippers

—

along with

two top knots and the drool running from the side of

that elicits disgust

and

e\

its

a

number

mouth. The

a

of nonlish

result

is a

carv-

en tear in younger viewers.

X CORN I

Looking

read\' to >^o to a children's birthda\' part\-

designed and carved hv John Guarente.

MU

who

gave

it

with

a

horn atop

its

head, this wack\' creature, right, was

wings, lion paws, and big teeth to inspire fear in

all.

L E

Demonstrating

a desire to

showcase

all

possible variations on

on Washington National Cathedral was given the foolish

would mess with. The sculptor

is

God

flopp\' ears, three

s

creatures, a mulelike beast, opposite,

horns atop

its

head, and incisors that only

not known, but Oswald Delfrate carved the piece.

75

\ARIATIONS ON Firsc

THEME

A

Presb\Tenan Church

in

Pittsburgh

was designed hv architect Thcophilas Parsons Chandler

Gothic

in a

modified Enghsh

Arthur H. AXiHiams' Sons

st\le.

of Philadelphia was hired on as contractor to oversee the construction of the

elaborate building crafted from hard

sandstone.

The design

called for four-

teen gargo\-les (thirteen of which exist).

The two

still

eagle gargoxles here

demonstrate how designers would often

choose alter

common

bod\' structure and

slightlv to

make each carving

a

it

unique.

Ram

horns were added to the

eagle above to differentiate

eagle below, of

76

a

dog.

whose

it

from the

ears resemble those

77

r

/

S

i\l

I

I.

I

NG

D

R A

GON

liank W'oolwoith sp.iicJ no expense

He

bear his name.

Louis

J.

Horowitz

men

hired twn

—

[The

teet troni street le\el. Eiff-el

Tower

in Paris,

Cass Gilbert combined

knowledge

its

M.5

milluMi in cash to cover

building,

t.illest

which stands

at

89 5

his lo\e of ornate

time. Louis

J.

w oLiId

architect (~ass Ciilbert and builder

"

which stands

at

792

time ('191

^)

was

onl\- taller structure at the

Company, conquered

Starrett

.stiLietLiie ili.u

feet.j

Gothic architecture with

building construction requirements to design

of'

building for

—

building the

then iiltimateK- spent $

construction costs ot the "world's

the

m

a

his

remarkable

Horowitz, president of the Thompsonthe

tremendous challenges posed

in

con-

structing the fifty-five-storv elaborate Gothic structure, weight being

one among man v.

As part of the solution, the grotesques that decorate the Woolworth Building

Baked

at

in

New

York Citv were made from

high temperatures to create

terra cotta can be

than those result

It

made

a

terra cotta rather than stone.

hard, durable ornamental

tile,

used to create pieces that are hollow and thus lighter

of solid stone.

The

clav can be easiK'

can be cast into any shape, and glazed to look

molded, and

like

as a

sculpted stone

or enameled metal.

To

achieve his desired effect, architect Gilbert hired John Donnelly

and Eliseo Ricci to sculpt

m

terra cotta

was

Gilbert approved cla\'

a it,

was pressed into

of the designs for the building. Sculpting

multi-step process. First, a

plaster

it.

assembled to expose the finish or glaze

all

a

model was

mold was then made from

After the clay began to stiffen, the clay,

the

created.

model and

mold was

which was allowed to air-dry further.

was applied to the piece before

it

was

fired.

If

A

disfinal

80

FROG AND BAT In the

Middle Ages, frogs were considered

those that dot the twentv-sixth floor ot the the Irogs

—lewd

or not

—

a

symbol of lewdness. Whether

Woolu orth

are joined bv bats, owls,

been an average skyscraper into

a

this interpretation applies to

Building in Manhattan

and pelicans,

all

is a

subject

of"

debate. There

of which helped turn what could have

modern wonder.

Nearlv 7.500 tons of terra cotta were used to achie\c the Gothic effect of the \Voolv\'orth Building.

Other materials used included 17 million hardware, 24.000 tons of

steel,

bricks.

and 87 miles of

28.000 tons of

tile,

5

3,000 pounds of bronze and iron

electrical wiring.

81

BEASTS OF THE AIR AND LAND Erected in 1915, Rosenwald Hall was par: of the second wave of construction of

Gothic buildings tects.

The

wald Hall

at the

building's initially

Universitv of Chicago. Holabird and Roche were

manv and

varied carvings reflect

its

its

original mission, tor

archi-

Rosen-

housed the departments of geology and geograph\'. Thomas

Chrovvder Chamberlin, head of the geology department, and Rollin D. Salisburv,

head of the geography department, chose subjects for the gargoyles symbolic of their respective disciplines.

ALLIG.\TORS Alligators of

all

shapes, sizes, and demeanors bedeck the exterior of

Rosenwald Hall. Shown here

82

are

two of the more noteworthv ones.

BIRDS A

duck, eagle, albatross, and condor represent the birds

of"

the

air.

Pictured here

is a

duck found on the

tower of the Uni\ersit\- oi Chica>?o's Rosenwald Hall.

83

CONTINENTAL BEASTS

UFFALO BILL AND BULL\' EUROPE Found arop

rhe tower of

America, while

and

84

a bull is

lion, respectiveK'.

Rosenwald Hall

are s\-mbols for the four continents.

the standard bearer for Europe.

Shown

The symbols

here are the buffalo and the bull.

A

buffalo represents North

for Asia and Africa are an elephant

TEASING TIGER Princeton Universit\' teams.

The

university

is

noced not

onl\- lor its

Hne academics but

g\mnasium was designed

b\'

Avmar Embur\'

dents could develop both sound minds and sound bodies. throui^h the generosity of an

alumnus

m

1947.

it is

It

for the II

m

1

competitne

90 3

.

to ensure that Princeton stu-

was partially destro\-ed

now known

as Dillon

spirit oi its athletic

b\-

hre

in

1944- Rebuilt

G\'mnasium. Se\eral outstand-

ing gargo\-les were added in the rebuilding.

A With

tiger a

prominently positioned

at the

main entrance of Dillon Gymnasium

teasing demeanor, the tiger appears read\' to

threshold below. Another reason this tiger

may

is

the university mascot.

pounce on the next lowly student who crosses the

look, so pleased

the lion that had been the university's original symbol.

is

that

it

was ultimately chosen to replace

The change occurred

slowly over the years as the

students" preference for the tiger over the lion was acknowledged; the tiger was oIHcially adopted as the

symbol

in

191

1.

85

86

ME XAC NG DRAGONS I

Donated

h\'

Martin A. R\erson, the second president oi the

R\erson Hall

is

a virtual

it

Chicago's Board oi Trustees,

zoo of gurgling gargo\les and grotesques. Designed hv Henr\' hes Cobb

the building represents the best oi Gothic

Harper to proclaim

L'ni\ersit\' oi

the

on campus and inspired then

most beautiful

uni\ersit\' president

in

I

894.

William Rainey

universit\' building in the world.

EAGLE Eagles are portra\ed critter

ried

is

on w

tound on

a

m

man\' shapes and sizes on the Uni\crsit\- oi Chicago campus. This vicious-looking

lavishh' decorated

ithin its walls.

Gothic structure built tor the

stud\' oi

anatomw which

is still

car-

L

I

\'

I

NG C

R EAT U R E

Constructed

in

S

1909, Gu\ot Hall

is

a

massne

structure on the Princeton Unnersitv campus.

tectural firm ot Parrish and Schroeder designed the building to

departments, and

its

exterior ornamentation retlects the

to be the creations oi ^'ork Cit\-

more

m

The

two

Gutzon Borglum, who apprenticed

and went on to win national acclaim for

at

The

archi-

house the school's biology and geology

disciplines.

Some

of the car\ings are believed

the Cathedral of St. John the

his carvings of the presidential

Divme

heads of

in

New

Mount Rush-

South Dakota.

east

end of Gu\ot Hall houses the biology department and

living species

from the

air,

land,

and

sea.

Shown

here from top

left

is

lavishly decorated with sculptures

to right are a contemplative

ape,-

of

bellow-

ing elephant, beastly boar, grim rhinoceros, watched bird, upside-down frog, and ready-to-be-boiled crab.

88

89

EXTINCT SPECIES Tlie ^colo^v and acophvsics department

festooned w

ith extinct creatures.

Some

is

ot

located in the west end oi the structure, w hich

its

90

to remind us ol our ultimate fate.

appropnatelv

sjone-hut-not-torgotten species are tuo t\pes oi dinosaurs,

smatterinsj ot prehistoric reptilian creatures and precursors to birds as sil

is

we know them, and

a trilobite

a

fos-

L

91

4

HUMOR

ON HIGH was

"it

back

in

SHA/AAM.

l.lKl:

the tuelhh century," re-

counts carver Malcolm

of his experience one

air

at

WAS

1

the

S.

Harlow high

da\'

jr.

in the

Washington National

Cathedral. "There

I

was working

with the same tools carvers have

used for centuries.

same work,

I

in the

similar setting.

On

was doing the

same way, that day

top of that scaffolding,

it.

We

arc part oi

on before."

is

*

all

1

in a

on the

Hnally got

that has

gone

Even the way carving

taught has remained unchanged

over the centuries.

It

is

a

trade

93

passed from one generation ro the next. fathers,

"Many of

m

our uncles would discuss what went on

Vmcenzo Palumbo,

Washington National Cathedral. Palumbo

is

now

rienced carvers can judge the quality of another chisel hits stone

ognize when

a

The most

is

enough

tor trained ears to

carving will be

a

—hammer and

know when

blocks oi stone high into the

chisel

— and work under

a

listening.

He

learn,

savs

"

his father at

e.xplains that expe-

The sound made when

a

mistake has been made and also to rec-

a

skv.

is

Other than

that,

thanks to cranes,

that, carvers use the

it is

same

conditions very similar to those of past centuries,

pneumatic

chisel has created an

MAGICAL MEDUSA AND FRIENDS

opportunity for them to work

(previous page)

hundreds of sculptures adorn the exterior of Washington National Cathedral. Here on the south-

west tower,

a

menagerie of carvings on nearly every corner joins the gargoyle Medusa

above ground.

A mix

of all of God's creatures

the nation for which this church was built.

94

worked alongside

the cathedral's master carver.

work simply by

and

and learn new techniques.

efficiently

Literalh-

tor years

listen

masterpiece.

although the recent introduction of

more

s

who

We would

significant change over the years in this creative process

a great deal easier to raise

tools

the shop that dav.

fitth-generation stone carver,

a

Our

us learned the craft at home, over dinner.

—

pigs, elephants,

and even angels

—

at

her spot 578 feet

reflects the diversity of

Like the carvincT. oood o^rooylc desicjn remains

unchanged.

larcjeU'

I:

requires both an interestma

silhouerre or ouchne so the design can be discerned from afar and contrasts in textures to ^ive the i^araovle better feature definition

up.

and composition. Because gargoyles

more attention and detaihng must be given

which makes

it

not from what

look

like directly

dred feet above someone's head. sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter,

One

It is a

who was

magnified someu hat

in

ply convey a feeling.

It

What

has changed

order to make takes

m

skill,

way of

humorous, or

from below,

visible a

may be

is

say, five

hun-

and creating," explains

producing the right amount of exaggera-

a

and

and symbols have to be

symbol, poke fun a bit

at

of luck to get

the subject matter of

many

something, or simit

right.

carvings. Today,

Ameri-

terrifying in appearance, but they can also be irreverent,

depending upon the inspiration of their creators. Like

older European counterparts, however, they continue to curiosity and imagination of viewers.

from,

Washington National Cathedral.

features, details,

statement, portray

the creative process

socially conscious,

is

have to visualize things like

visualizing, thinking,

training, imagination,

can gargoyles and their counterparts gentle,

different

trained by master carvers at

To make an object

"We

head-on, but what they might look

of the challenges posed by this creative process

tion in a carving.

viewed from the bottom

to the underside of the sculpture than to the top,

necessar\' for designers to rearrange their creative process. the\' will

are

tell a story, relay a

their

message, and pique the i

95

^'~ ^\

T^

THE CROOKED POLITICIAN Contrar\- to rumors that float around politician gargoyle was not

some

of the

modeled

Washington National Cathedral from time

after an\'one in particular. Sculptor

more outrageous elements

of the

Washington power

crooked politician simph' evolved from "the hole

Some

in its

reception circuit.

And

SN'iTibols ure less

obvious.

A wad

perch high in the

96

in air,

1

98

I,

like his

The horns

stickin^r

out from the

bclK' alludes to regular participation in the in

smoke-fillcd rooms.

of hundred-dollar bills pokes out of the car\ing's left coat pocket,

Car\er Walter Arnold mounted Carpenter's half-scale

And

jokingly explains that the

made behind closed doors

while on the right, the scales of justice arc being tampered w

the building.

He

mock

head."

The robust

the cigar signifies deals being

Hall Carpenter w anted to

structure.

of the characteristics of crooked politicians are rcadiK' visible.

gargoyle's head signal an affiliation with the devil.

Other

Ja\'

to time, the crooked

cla\'

ith.

model next

to

its

designated stone block on

counterparts from centuries past, Arnold worked on the piece from his

oblivious to the crowds

who watched him from

below.

ELEPHANT WITH BOOK The

primar\-

donor

tor this g.irgo\le

on Washington National Cathedral a

former manager oi the Cathedral

is

s

bookstore. Sculptor Frederick E. Hart

designed

it

to reflect both the

books and the balancing

love of

required to run

An

donor

a

thinij

abilit\'

—

a

to

remember

ol" its

ever\--

prime requirement tor mak-

ing a successful go ot \\orld.

act

successful bookstore.

elephant uas chosen because

tabled

s

Malcolm

S.

it

in the

Harlow

Jr.

book

carved

the e.\traordinar\- imaae in 1975.

I

1

MEDUSA Legend has

it

Medusa was

that

maiden who took great pride ful hair.

Her charms aroused

in

a

prettv

her beauti-

the jealous\' of

Miner\a and the goddess used her powers to turn Medusa's

lovcl\-

locks into hissing ser-

pents, leaving the girl so hideous that any-

one who caught sight of her turned to stone. This modern-dav Medusa on Washington National Cathedral was intended

as a

Rather than turning those who look into stone,

Medusa

pun.

at her

herself has been cast

forever in stone. Reflecting her vanit\', she

holds

a

cracked mirror in her hand. Wrig-

gling wildlv, the snakes in her hair seem to

be tr\ing to escape from the stone.

Ja\-

Hall

Carpenter designed Medusa, one of the eight largest gargoyles on the cathedral.

Wayne D.

Ferree car\ed the intricate piece,

which was installed

98

m

1987-

MISSOURI BEAR Wanting

s:atc

its

huildini^, the

to

he permanentlv represented on the

Eastern Nhssouri Committee of the National

Cathedral Association donated this ^argovle

the

in

earl\-

1970s. Sculptor Donald R. Miller intertwined several s\mbols

of the grand

state oi

Missouri into one gargovle. The bear

itself"

represents the two standing bears on the Missouri state seal,

with

its

shown

motto.

"We

can stand on our own.

peering; throucjh the

oi St. Louis.

renowned

It

himous "Gatcwa\-

was carved bv Constantine

The animal

to the

is

West" arch

Seferlis,

who was

tor his abilit\' to incorporate accurate anatomical

features into whimsical designs.

99

lOO

L5

THIEF A areedv

thief" is

caught

Cathedral. Wearing left

arm and

a

a

m

the act in this ^ar^ovle

business suit,

a

longhaired

rooster in his right hand, while

on Washington National

man a

Sculptor Constantme Seterlis wanted to show not

a

pig under his

dog tugs

at his sleeve.

onl\- the

consequences

holds

of e.xcessne greed but also the pov\er ot small forces to affect outcomes.

The

ironv of the carving

is

that this thief has been caught not bv the police

or even bv a higher power; rather, Seferlis also carved the piece,

it is

a

small dog that impedes his escape.

which was placed on the cathedral

in

1975-

101

ARMY MULE An

arm\-

mule with bared

teeth and ears

on

alert

was donated

the wite of

b\'

a

U.S. Arm\' colonel in his memory. Placed

on Washington National Cathedral 1979,

It

IS

in

another example oi the col-

laboration between

sculptor Carl

Bush and car\cr Frederick

L.

E. Hart.

SEA HORSE One

of thirteen gaivo\lcs

Church

in

ture seems

chiuch

is

on

First Presb\terian

Pittsburgh, this sea-horse-hke creabit

a

out ot place, gi\en that the

located in

a sea

oi concrete.

tion to the urban SLUTOundnigs

gravc\'ard

that

Church from viding this

102

a

separates

First

is

One

excep-

the historic

Presb\terian

the adjacent Trinit\' Cathedral, pro-

tranquil green spot from which to

charming

piece.

\ie\\

]

CANDID

CAM

ERA M A N

This i;arao\lc on Washington National Cathedral the unexpected. Sculptor uisj a

Rubin Peacock designed

necktie decorated with the ace

ol"

is a

a

stud\- of

duck wear-

hearts and clothing ies-

tooned with diamonds and spades. W'hen one looks more closelv. howe\er, the

whimsical garao\le holds

mouth: the scrunched-up ing from behind E.xplains

the tourists." like to

a

photographer

is

seen peer-

camera!

Malcolm

earlv 1970s, "I

was

a

face oi

a secret in its

Harlow

S.

thought

it

w ho car\cd the piece

would be kin to poke

Ha\ing worked

"look dow n

Jr.

kom

in situ

a little

in the

kin

at

high abo\e the gawking tourists, Harlow had

above." This

humorous carving

is

his

pa\back for

all

a real

sense of what

the pictures taken ot

it

him

while he was closer to the hea\ens than to the earth.

103

LAUGHTER GENERATORS Found on buildings

across America are gargoyles

laugh-along creatures, with their

mation of the amused

silly

whose

sole mission appears co be to invite laughter.

These

demeanors, absurd postures, and infectious smiles, capture the imag-

viewer.

SOU A RE -J AW ALLIGATOR Visitors to

Washington National Cathedral

ing gator designed by Carl

he was

known

as a

W.

can't help but chuckle

Tucker. Tucker spent

Renaissance

man

for his

\'ast

for this happy-looking creature and presented it

104

carved. Tucker's one

it

more than

a

when thev catch

decade

a

glimpse of this smil-

at the cathedral as

knowledge and musical

talent.

to Richard T. Feller, then clerk

an artisan, where

He came up

u

ith the idea

of the works, who ordered

and only gargoyle to appear on the cathedral was carved by Edward

Ratti.

BELLYACHE Suffering from overindulgence? This beast has feathered arms and httle hands that are clutching bellv. Its sculptor, Juliet

Fazan, was one

Gargoyle Design Contest. Then

on to become installed

m

a

a

of"

the winners

of"

the

is

bulging

Washington National Cathedral's 1959—60

young Englishwoman doing graduate work

professor of English at the University of Alberta.

1964.

a

The

at

Mount Holyoke,

she went

carver of the piece, which was

not known.

TOOTHACHE NO MORE A

dragonlike beast clutches

thumb. Constantme from

visitors.

a

molar

as he clings to

Seferlis designed

Absurd or

and carved

Washington National Cathedral

this piece in

1976 knowing

that

for dear life by only a

it

would draw laughter

not, the sculpture also stands as a fitting tribute to its honoree, a physicist at the

National Bureau of Standards,

v\-ho

researched materials for the replacement of teeth.

105

31 Vl'

CON\E RSATION The

ijcntlo.

intim.uo convcrs.ition depicted hero denionstr.ites the shilt

troin liideous

and tnohtening g,Hvo\les to more hiiniorotis

istic ere.uiiros.

This car\ino, located

in

the central portal

t)l

himi.in-

.iiid

the western

facade of the Cathedral ot St. lohn the I)i\ine in upper Manhattan, p.irt

of

,\n

mtricateh' carxed facade that blends

humorous, beautiful and its

ugl\-. It

stands out

new and

among

old, serious

creatures are also unK]ue because thev

tion of the cathedral as anreater-like creature

work

on the

John Angel

pros^ressed. in the

left

it.

show the e\olu-

car\'ed the

1940s. Simon X'eritw

attentne

who

served as the cathedral's master carver since 1988, completed the the right

m

I

E.xplains \erit\', "I needed color in m\-

carving these rhinos and

I

its

roots.

He worked

life.

painted his carving using

a

had his mcdic\al brethren. I

spent ten vears of m\'

a

colored p>igmcnt

life

made from ground

milk-based glue. The

and red tones come from iron deposits

come from

far

needed something other than monochrome.

stone that was mi.xed in casein,

shades

dog on

on stone from drawings rather than models. He e\en went so

as to introduce color into his car\ings, as

\'erit\'

has

996.

Vcritv took carvino at the cathedral back to directh'

and

man\' because of both

subject matter and the use oi color in the sculptures behind

The two stone

is

in the stone,

\-ellow,

purple,

while the green

copper. True to form, these arc colors that would have

been available during the medie\al period.

107

MONKEY CLOWNS In

I

896, Francis Landev Patton. president of what was then known as the College of New Jersey, announced

that the institution was changing that Princeton

Oi

its

name

to Princeton Unu'ersity.

With

would become an internationally known university of the

course, the easiest

way to become

the next hftv vears, everv building

like these

the

name change, Patton predicted

caliber

of Oxford and Cambridge.

prestigious universities was to look like them. Thus, for

on campus was designed

in a collegiate

Gothic

stvle,

emulating the Hne

learning establishments across the Atlantic. Patton Hall, in tact, looks like a medieval castle, complete with parapets, turrets, and gargoyles.

up rather than keep According to

Along the

their eves fixed ahead

Hugh

turrets,

First,

left is yelling at

fre-

they are rambunctious creatures, as are students. Second,

humans, much

as students are to professors.

the top of his lungs and, not surprisingly, not being heard.

key thumbs his nose and sticks out his tongue at visitors.

108

clowns mock those who dare to look

de N. Wvnne, a highly knowledgeable 1939 Princeton graduate, monkeys were

are considered a lower life-form to

depicted at

as

of them.

quently chosen as subjects for two reasons.

monkeys

monkeys dressed

The monkey

The second mon-

MONKEY MAGIC President W'oocirow Wilson vir.Kiu.Ucd with the Pnneeton iini\ersit\'.

twent\'-titth reunion. LX^signed inan\' ot

m

His olticc was located

which

arc cnv^a^ed

m

b\'

iS?*-) Hall,

el.iss ol

whieh was

187'-)

.md

l.uer bee.une president ol the

built b\ the class ot

Benj.unin W'lstar Morris

Ir.,

on the occasion

7^)

1879 Hall boasts

a

number

ol

us

ol nionke\'S,

actnities be\ond their comprehension.

-^

ROAD RAGE Here another Princeton monke\' demonstrates

MONKEY WITH

CAMERA

A

Perched on the west side this candid

cameraman

is

of"

1

879

brain matter. Depicted with drner's glasses, his hat co\ering

he doesn't kno\\'

is a

wild hairdo to match

perplexed

fascinated tool,

a

man\-

lifelong

which

careers begin.

endea\ors

Gutzon Borglum,

tor extraordinaire,

is

crazed look, the beast seems

b\-

the car's steering wheel.

It

he was

c\'cr

to fig-

b\' It

out, one could imagine that his

drning expierience

is

might end

how

a

Hall,

ure a to\-

his lack ot

in

road rage.

and

sculp-

said to have created

this craz\' ape.

I09

no

CONFUSED HORSE On

a

turret ot Patton Hall

that has lost his way.

The

on Princeton University's campus riderless horse

is a

horse

saddled, ready to go, but

is

appears confused despite his monocle. Symbolic oi the predicament of

manv

students, he appears to be scarchi.ng tor

to do, where to go,

and how to get

someone

to

tell

him what

there.

COMPETITORS Two rams

lock horns in fierce battle on Bartlett

Gymnasium

versity of Chicago, imagery that appropriately depicts the

at

the Uni-

many compet-

itnc events that take place within the lavishh' decorated building. parapets, arched doorwa\'s, and carvings Ivanhoe, the

tectural Bartlett

gymnasium, constructed

Hrm

ol Sheply,

it

was used

scenes Irom Sir Walter Scott's

1904, was designed by the archi-

Rutan and Coolidge. During World War

G\'mnasium served

design when

in

ol"

With

a

military function belittinij

as a barracks lor the

U.S. Navy.

its

II,

lortresslike

CROWNED DOG The crowned dog window paw

his

that appears above a fourth-floor

ot Tribune in a

Tower

m Chicago

mousetrap, paving

ob\iousl\' had

pom-

a price for his

Mead Howells and Ra\-

positw Architects John

mond M. Hood

with

shov\'n

is

designed Tribune Tower and

some tun

in the

process

added cirotesques to the exterior. Little however, about the carvers

who

when they known,

is

actuallv created

these sculptures. E.vplains sculptor Walter Arnold,

who

restored a

number

ot the grotesques during a

recent renovation ot the building, "Builders

not have thought to keep track ot

anv more than

the\'

who

carved what

would have thought

to keep

track ot which carpenter or cabinetmaker did

ot

work

would

a

piece

tor them."

ALE RT FROG On

the exterior ot Chicago's Tribune Tower,

ot the press, this small trog

is

a

massive Gothic building signifying the power and prestige

said to represent those

who

are ever alert

and eager to be heard.

SC.\ND.\LIZED ELEPHANT What

could be

a

clearer depiction ot scandal than a big stinkv elephant forever holding its nose?

trom Indiana limestone from Hoadlev this scandalous elephant a

112

moment

to consider

s

Quarry, which

is still in

operation today

in

Carved

Bloomington, Indiana,

on Tribune Tower provokes both laughter and thoughtfulness from those who

what

it

represents.

take

113

^oans also

incjness to share stories, pictures,

—

needs.

.And,

couldn

I

out those

and

M\-

me under

Brown, director ot

corporate communications: and

Gramzinski.

general

manager

mv

travels.

Rhonda

to

at

I

v\as avvav

Nancv Shea

i^ratitude. tor the\'

lost.

barging

a ke\' to

alwa\s teel

from home.

also deser\e m\'

cooked me tabu-

made

certain

mides. w ho gave

ot

head but kept

me

a

me up

place to rest

mv

too late talking

of it! And

to ever get the full benefit

Chicago could not ha\e been written

thanks to m\' tamih' members

without the expertise ot gargovle

live

expert Professor Michael Camille;

accompanied me on my gargoyle

stead:

Larrv .Arbeiter ot the news

department; and John Biedler. m\' tour guide,

bevond the

who went above and

call

ot dut\- to

make

sure

treks,

ter

Pittsburgh and

with

a special

Kathie,

sistible

more

grate-

husband, Steve Detoy, vvho

supported me

and figura-

literally

along the bump\' way to get-

tiveh' all

ting published. Special thanks to

my

daughter Cydnee, who viewed

mv

dream

as a realit\',

and to

mv

elder

daughter Marishka, who belie\ed that

could do an\thing

I

mind

set m\'

I

to doing.

My

triend and lawyer, John Ward,

much

on m\' old college room-

.Al

Bum-

am

coming up with the idea tor this

Tribune Tower. The Universitx' ot

landscape architect Richard

mv

tul to

I

deserves

mate and dear triend Marian Cos-

in

sticking in there with me.

never

I

me by

thank those who inspired

had the great fortune ot

I

in

me

and made

home when

Carl and

me

their \Mng. gave

got

Faith

with-

it

tood, shelter,

thanks

hearttelt

Much

Tribune:

done

Buckner and Diane Ulluis. who took

lous meals and

architecture critic tor the Chicago

h,i\e

who provided

according to m\' scheduling thanks to Blair Kamin,

t

and entertainment during

their house,

deserve m\' c^ratitude tor their will-

time

m\ questions were answered.

ol

all

spc-

who

thanks to

I

otten

mv

who tound some

ones there so

who

could

sis-

irrevisit

Id

like

to

but

details so

am

then

It

agent,

write

And

Hill,

Julie

beliet in this It,

tor,

it

am most

the opportunity to

I

triend and

iti\'

book, and m\'

I

the

a realit\'.

whose und\ing

helped make

tinalh',

out

ironing

could become

also gratetul to

abilit\'

come

to

to

lite.

gratetul tor

work with mv

edi-

Annetta Hanna, whose clear

thinking

made

otten.

Last but not least.

book,

gratitude tor not only

m\'

and attention

to

detail

manuscript better each

time she took her purple pen

in

hand.

143

7

vy gy^

INDEX Angel, John. 30,

5 5,

Lampen. Michael

Embury, Aymar. 8 5

107

Arnold, Walter, 66. 96. 112,

117

Lee.

Faulkner. Avery, 17

D..

40

Sheply, Rutan and Coolidge,

in

Rosemary. 2 5

W,

LEnfant. Pierre. 17

Streett.

Mandel. Leon.

Tidball, Charles

Tvlden

17

Fazan. Juliet, 105 Bodley, George, 17

Feller.

Borglum, Gutzon, 29. 31. 38,

Ferree,

55. 88,

109

Briton. Christian,

42

JBush. Carl L. 67, 70, 72, 75.

102, 121

Richard T. 104, 12

Wayne

5

3 3

Miller.

Fryer, Frederick Lear,

Palumbo, Vincenzo. 94. 121.

1

Calvary United Methodist

Church (Pittsburgh),

Donald

98 First Presbyterian Church (Pittsburgh). lO-II. 28. 76. 102 Frohman, Philip Hubert. 17 D.,

Tribune Tower (Chicago), 10,

Palumbo. Paul. 127

Tucker. Carl M..

127, 128 Gardner, Helen and Leiand. 24

Parrish

Carpenter. Jay Hall. 17. 66. 72,

Girard. Matthew, 17

Plasschaert.

95,96,98, 116, Il8 Cathedral Church of St. John

Grace Cathedral (San Fran-

Princeton University (New-

10.29, 30. 51, 38, 55,64,

cisco), 10, 39,

Henry

F.

42

and

St. Paul. Sec

St. Peter

Washing-

ton National Cathedral Chandler, Theophilas Parsons.

Verity,

Hart. Frederick

Cochrane. George

A..

E..

87. 153

70. 97. 102.

116

Simon, 107 Vrydagh and Shepard, 58

LaFarge. 28. 31

Ricci. Eliseo.

75

Donnelly, John. 79

144

Norman, 125, 127

Rockwell.

Rockwell. Peter. 69. 125, 127

J..

112

Kamin.

Blair.

60

Kaufman. William John. 42

Seferlis,

Constantine, 24, 64,

Thomas

B.,

58

Woolworth, Frank

W,

67

101, 105. 116, 121, 122,

York).

125, 128

79, 81

128

8.

14. 79 Woolworth Building (New 8. 10. 14, 59, 56.

Severson, William Conrad,

Kurt H.. 17

Kimball. Elizabeth Cannon.

(Washington. D.C.).

19-27.64,66-75, 95-105, 116, 118-125, 127-129 Weihe, Frick and Kruse, 40 Wilson, Woodrow, 1 09 Wolfe,

79

67,69,71,72,75.99,

Kiefer.

Delfrate. Oswald,

79

Hood, Raymond M.,

Cope and Stewardson, 42 5 5

158

Roche. Martin. 52. 82

Howells. John Mead. 54, 112

Cram, Ralph Adams, 30 Cram and Ferguson, 50,

Edward. 104

Holabird, William, 32, 82

Horowitz. Louis

58

Cope. Walter. 42

Washington National Cathedral Ratti,

Ratti. Joseph.

54.

D., 58

Vaughan, Henrv, 17

Quirk. Howard, 29

93, 97,

Hobart. Lewis, 40

Contractors. 58 Ives. 32.

S..

42-55

130-131

103, 116. 121. 124. 128

Heins&

76 Clark Brothers Stone

Cobb. Henry

Harlow. Malcolm

82-84, 87, 111, 125,

155-155

Van Trump. James

107 Cathedral Church of

5 5,

57.65,85, 88-90, 108-109, III,

Jersey). 11,

69, 75, 125

104

University of Pennsylvania. 10.

Peacock. Rubin. 103

40

60-61, 112, 156-137

University of Chicago. 10. 52,

and Schroeder. 88

Patton. Francis Landey. 108

Guarente, John, 17, 20, 23, 25,

Elizabeth,

Tietjen, Andrew. 121

54,

79 Gildersleeve. R. C. 150

York),

69

Morris, Benjamin Wistar. 109

Gilbert, Cass, 56,

(New

69

S.,

Tidball,

lO-II, 39, 58 Cantor. Laurel Masten. 57

the Divine

M.

99 Morigi. Roger. 70. 125 R..

Zeller.

August. 42

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

3 9999 04 47 382 6

>fl^

BAKER a TAYLOR

1

>

m DARLENE TREW CRIST is an award-winning writer

I

who

has traveled throughout Europe and the United

States in search of gargoyles. She lives in

ROBERT LLEWELLYN books include

is

a

Rhode

Island.

photographer whose

Washington: The Capital,

which was chosen

by the White House and the State Department as an official

diplomatic

gift.

He

Jacket photographs copyright

lives in Virginia.

© loot

by Robert Llewellyn

Jacket design by Jane Treuhaft

I

Clarkson Potter / Publishers

New

York

6/01 vvwvv.randomhouse.com

ISBN 0-609-60685-9

60685

% %.

^,

45863"02250*'"9

m

^

"American gargoyles may be terrifying

in

appearance, but thev can also

be irreverent, gentle, humorous, or socially conscious, depending upon the inspiration of their creators. Like their older European counterparts,

however, thev continue to

tell a story, relay a

curiosity and imagination of viewers."

mm 1.-—

M

message, and pique the

— FROM American Gargoyles

Architecture

—

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Orn.imcnts

ISBN 0-609-60685-9

52250