George Washington Carver – George Washington Carver National Monument – Diamond, Missouri - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

Cast concrete, about 2'9" high on a 2'7½" x 1'9" x 4' brick base, it was executed in 1952 by Audrey Corwin and was presented to the Park at its dedication ceremony by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute. The bust has been painted a metallic "gold" and coated with a waterproof sealant.

– National Register Nomination

The bust of an older George Washington Carver, with wrinkled forehead, wearing a shirt, jacket and tie. The bust is concrete, coated with bronze, and mounted on a rectangular brick base with a limestone cap. In the base, on the front is an audio recording of Carver reading a poem (recorded at Selma University, May 27, 1942, commemorative closing address).

The bust was one of perhaps twenty created on behalf of the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute for the Advancement of Art, Science and Education. The bust was designed to be placed indoors and was originally painted battleship grey, but because of paint seepage into the concrete, it was stripped and coated with bronze.

– Smithsonian Art Inventory

George Washington Carver (c. 1860 – 5 January 1943), was an American botanist and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he was born into slavery in Missouri, either in 1861, or January 1864.

Carver's reputation is based on his research into and promotion of alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes, which also aided nutrition for farm families. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops both as a source of their own food and as a source of other products to improve their quality of life. The most popular of his 44 practical bulletins for farmers contained 105 food recipes using peanuts. He also developed and promoted about 100 products made from peanuts that were useful for the house and farm, including cosmetics, dyes, paints, plastics, gasoline, and nitroglycerin. He received numerous honors for his work, including the Spingarn Medal of the NAACP.

During the Reconstruction-era South, monoculture of cotton depleted the soil in many areas. In the early 20th century, the boll weevil destroyed much of the cotton crop, and planters and farm workers suffered. Carver's work on peanuts was intended to provide an alternative crop.

He was recognized for his many achievements and talents. In 1941, Time magazine dubbed Carver a "Black Leonardo"

– Wikipedia

The bust appears to be in good condition and cared for by the National Park Service.

TITLE: George Washington Carver ARTIST(S): Audrey Corwin DATE: 1952 MEDIUM: Bust: concrete and bronze; Base: brick and limestone. CONTROL NUMBER: IAS MO000346 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: George Washington Carver National Monument Diamond, Missouri DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: None noted

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