Griffith Observatoy Astronomers Monument - Los Angeles, CA
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 34° 07.115 W 118° 18.022
11S E 380077 N 3776067
Designed by Archibald Garner and completed by the WPA in 1934 as one of its most ambitious projects. It towers in front of the famed Griffith Observatory overlooking the city of Los Angeles, and depicts six of the world's greatest astronomers.
Waymark Code: WM5F7P
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 12/31/2008
Views: 39
From the official Griffith Observatory web site:
Greeting visitors upon their arrival at Griffith Observatory, the fully restored Astronomers Monument is a large outdoor concrete sculpture on the front lawn that pays homage to six of the greatest astronomers of all time:
- Hipparchus (about 150 B.C.)
- Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543)
- Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
- Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
- Isaac Newton (1642-1727)
- William Herschel (1738-1822)
The monument is an enduring product of the great economic depression of the 1930s, when New Deal initiatives created federally funded work programs to employ skilled workers in many fields at a time when they would otherwise remain idle and without income. One of the first of these programs, the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), began in December 1933. Soon thereafter, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Park Commission, PWAP commissioned a sculpture project on the grounds of the new Observatory (which was under construction). Using a design by local artist Archibald Garner and materials donated by the Women's' Auxiliary of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Garner and five other artists sculpted and cast the concrete monument and figures. Each artist was responsible for sculpting one astronomer; one of the artists, George Stanley, was also the creator of the famous "Oscar" statuette.
On November 25, 1934 (about six months prior to the opening of the Observatory), a celebration took place to mark completion of the Astronomers Monument, which had proven to be the most ambitious creation of the PWAP. The only "signature" on the Astronomers Monument is "PWAP 1934" referring to the federal agency which funded the project and the year it was completed.
Project type: Sculpture/Statue
Date built or created: 1934
Location: Griffith Observatory
City: Los Angeles
Condition: Pristine condition
Website for additional information: [Web Link]
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