City Hall Relief (South Side) - Camden, NJ
N 39° 56.668 W 075° 07.192
18S E 489759 N 4421600
This is one of two amazing, bronze relief sculptures located on the eastern part of City Hall. Given the crime, filth, graffiti and boight, it is easy to miss. Unless you read the Smithsonian Inventory page & know to look for it, you'll miss it.
Waymark Code: WM7YNY
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 12/23/2009
Views: 3
There are two of these gems located at Camden City Hall. This 20 ft. X 15 ft. bronze relief depicts life of long ago. Some noteworthy aspects of this sculpture is a large anchor with the medical serpent wrapped around it. Also, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (completed July 1, 1926) and the Clock Tower @ City Hall make an appearance. There is a cornucopia with a whole lot of fruit coming out of it perhaps representing the richness of Camden in that era. There is also a couple of huge ships representing the shipping industry prevalent in Camden in the early 20th century. The entire perspective of the sculpture is from the Philadelphia side of the water, looking out over the Delaware River to Camden.
The building, constructed in 1929, is amazingly, not on the NRHP but in of itself is a wonderful work of art. 50 feet above this sculpture is a huge expansive engraved quotation, "No Legacy is so Rich as Honesty". The front has another long quotation, like the other in physical length (about 30 ft), "Where There is no Vision the People Perish." After eighty years, this sculpture still looks brand new. It is a wonder the locals have yet to destroy it as everything else in their path has been leveled, decimated, graffitied and defaced. Rather than try to describe this remarkable relief work, I will simply use the Smithsonian Inventory page.
The following excerpts come from the Smithsonian inventory page for this sculpture.
SOURCE
Inscription
"E. Vonhebel Gorham Foundry, Providence RI signed Founder's mark appears."
Description
"Two relief panels featuring cityscapes of Camden, including such landmarks as City Hall, the waterfront, and a Civil War memorial. Both panels are mounted on the rear facade of City Hall."