Let Us Make The Treaty Tonight Sculpture - Seattle, WA - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

Located in Volunteer Park and near the Volunteer Park Observatory is a lifelike statue of William Henry Seward. Seward had a lengthy political life and much is written about him. He was the New York governor from 1839-1842; a US Senator from 1849 to 1859; a presidential candidate in the 1860 US election, and after losing the Republican nomination to Abraham Lincoln who eventually won the presidency, was chosen as Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869.

What was William Seward's connection to Seattle, you may ask? Well, he was instrumental in purchasing the Alaskan Territory from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million dollars. This was seen by many as Seward's biggest accomplishment in his professional life. Seattle became the host city for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in 1909 and the chosen theme for the Expo was the commemoration of gold strikes in Alaska and Canadian territories. The city commissioned artist Richard Brooks to sculpt a lifelike statue of William Seward as a citizen memorial in recognition of his achievement in the Alaskan Territory purchase. It was put on display during the duration of the Expo and titled Let Us Make the Treaty Tonight.

In describing the bronze, lifelike statue, Seward stands atop a high stone pedestal facing south. He holds a scroll in his proper left arm. He stands in front of a large globe, and a pile of pine boughs and cones. His proper left leg is slightly bent and forward. Bronze plaques on the base include quotes from Seward; and on rear, plaque of eagle and shield. Directly below the statue and title is the main plaque which contains an inscription that reads:

WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD PATRIOT AND STATESMAN, AS GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATES SENATOR AND SECRETARY OF STATE, GAVE TO THE PEOPLE OF HIS COUNTRY A LONG AND USEFUL LIFE CULMINATING IN HIS PURCHASE FOR THEM OF THE TERRITORY OF ALASKA ON MARCH 30, 1867 ERECTED BY CITIZENS OF SEATTLE 1909

A small plaque on proper left side, near the bottom of the base of the sculpture contains a quote by Seward that reads:

“AS WAR HAS HITHER TO DEFACED AND SADDENED THE ATLANTIC WORLD THE BETTER PASSION OF MANKIND WILL SOON HAVE THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW THEATER OF HUMAN ACTIVITY” WILLIAM H. SEWARD IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE JULY 29, 1852

A small plaque on proper right side, near the bottom of the base of the sculpture contains a quote by Seward that reads:

“THE PACIFIC OCEAN ITS SHORES ITS ISLANDS AND THE VAST REGIONS BEYOND WILL BECOME THE CHIEF THEATRE OF EVENTS IN THE WORLDS GREAT HEREAFTER” WILLIAM H. SEWARD IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE JULY 29, 1852

TITLE: Let Us Make The Treaty Tonight ARTIST(S): Richard Brooks DATE: 1909 MEDIUM: Bronze sculpture on a bronze and stone base CONTROL NUMBER: IAS WA000020 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Volunteer Park, near the Volunteer Park Observatory DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: No discernible differences noted between the sculpture and the Art Inventory description, although I was able to decipher the inscription of the main, larger plaque, whereas the SIRIS wasn't able to provide a complete translation.

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit, your impressions of the sculpture, and at least ONE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH. Add any additional information you may have, particularly any personal observations about the condition of the sculpture.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   07/16/2022 stinger503 visited it 05/01/2020 Rock Chalk visited it

View all visits/logs