Reverend James A. Bryan, better known as "Brother Bryan" (1863-1941), was well known throughout Alabama and Birmingham. As the pastor of the Third Presbyterian Church, he worked tirelessly to help the poor and homeless, and was also an early voice at the turn of the 20th century for racial reconciliation and civil rights for African-Americans.
In 1934 statue of brother Brian kneeling in prayer was commissioned by the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), part of the New Deal Works Progress Administration. Proof that the statue was part of the PWAP is found on the statue itself: a small inscription on the side of the statue reads as follows:
GEORGES BRIDGES Sc. [scupltor -- BMB]
P.W.A.P.
1934.
At the base of the statue, a bronze open book was added after 1941 inscribed with some additional information about the subject the statue and proves up that this sculpture a work commissioned by the United States government:
"[L side] Erected by the
US government
and dedicated
by the citizens
of this city in 1934
during the lifetime
of
REV. JAMES A. BRYAN, D.D.
who was born
March 20, 1863
and died
January 28, 1941.
[R side]
beginning his ministry
as Pastor of the
Third Presbyterian Church
in June 1889, he served
that church and mankind
for over half a century.
Fervent in prayer,
consecrated life,
sympathetic and counsel,
friend of the friendless,
the sorrowing, the poor,
and the rich:
he went about doing good."
This statue is listed in the Smithsonian Institution's SIRIS database: (
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From the Living New Deal website: (
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"PUBLIC WORKS OF ART PROJECT (PWAP) (1933)
The PWAP was created on December 8, 1933 out of funding provided by the Federal Emergency Relief Administrator, who allocated money from the recently-created Civil Works Administration. It was supervised by L.W. Robert, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, but should not be confused with the later Treasury Post Office art program.
The PWAP was established “as one of the agencies to extend relief to the professional class, its object being to employ artists who were unemployed in the decoration of public buildings and parks”. In addition, the PWAP was “the first federal government program to support the arts nationally”.
During its short 5-month life in 1933-34, the PWAP employed 3,749 artists, who created 15,663 works of art. These works included 7 Navajo blankets, 9 bas reliefs, 42 frescoes, 99 carvings, 314 drawings, 647 sculptures, 1,076 etchings, and 3,821 oil paintings. Such works of art decorated public schools, orphanages, public libraries, and “practically every type of public building.” Museums sought and displayed the work, and many Americans were “made familiar for the first time with the contemporary art of their own country…”.
A little over $1.3 million was spent on the project (about $23 million in 2015 dollars), with nearly $1.2 million going towards the artists’ paychecks.
In addition to supervision by L.W. Robert, Jr., the PWAP had an advisory committee consisting of Frederic A. Delano (Chairman), Charles Moore, Rexford Tugwell, Harry Hopkins, Henry Hunt, and Edward Bruce (Secretary). Forbes Watson served as the PWAP’s technical director.
The PWAP was terminated on May 20, 1934, but the spirit behind the project lived on in many other New Deal initiatives, such as the post office art sponsored by the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Project Number One art programs within the Works Progress Administration."