Tyler Davidson Fountain
Tyler Davidson Fountain is the name of a fountain in Cincinnati that is one of the landmarks of this city. It is often called Probasco Fountain after its founder .
Foundation, endowment
After Henry Probasco , a wealthy resident of the city, had been angry long enough about drunks in the city, he had once addressed one of these men and asked why he did not calm his thirst with water. The answer is said to have been: “Well, what else am I to quench my thirst, here we find no water, only schnapps and beer!” Then Probasco decided, while his brother-in-law and business partner Tyler Davidson was still alive, and in consultation with him, Cincinnati to give a drinking water fountain. Davidson died in 1865 and Probasco made the decision to erect a memorial to him with the planned fountain.
planning
In the USA in the mid-19th century, the art of bronze casting did not yet allow the creation of a monumental fountain. On his trip to Europe in 1866/67, Henry Probasco therefore visited the royal bronze foundry under Ferdinand von Miller in Munich , where the figures for the Washington Monument in Richmond (Virginia) were cast by Thomas Crawford , as well as the Sentinel by Randolph Rogers in 1865 , who won the jumping Adorned Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.
Probasco's wishes met with open ears in the bronze foundry: He thought of a fountain figure that was supposed to symbolize the blessing of the water, but did not attach any importance to the usual representation in the form of Neptune or Nereid figures .
Ferdinand von Miller and August von Kreling had already worked on designs for such a fountain in the 1840s. They were inspired by a representation of Mary in France. Maria held her outstretched arms up here and rays of light emanated from her palms. These light rays should be replaced by water jets in the planned fountain figure. The sketch for such a fountain was not initially implemented into reality. When the first industrial exhibition in Germany was planned in 1854, a fountain was also to be shown in a glass house, and Ferdinand von Miller intended to implement von Kreling's old plans. But even at an early stage of his work he met with vehement rejection from King Ludwig of Bavaria. Even later, when von Miller asked him in a letter for his opinion, he did not change his mind.
It was only Probasco's request that led to the old plans being brought out again. The central fountain shape with the raised hands was complemented by four more figures designed by the younger Ferdinand von Miller . These figures, the actual drinking water dispensers at the fountain, were supposed to represent boys riding animals. From Fritz von Miller the seated figures were modeled on the corners, the rest of the Well you took from Kreling plans.
Before a contract was finally concluded between Miller and Probasco, Miller received a bronze model of the planned fountain in the summer of 1867. This model stood for a long time on Probasco's estate and is now in the Cincinnati Museum of Art. Another model made of plaster must be considered lost. A photograph of it is now in the cultural history museum in Osnabrück ; the outer fountain figures in this model are more reminiscent of gnomes and elves .
Execution, transport and construction
Metal recovered from melted down Danish cannons was used to cast the figures. Not only the figures, but also the granite stones that were needed to build the wells were shipped from Germany to America, which met with incomprehension among the inhabitants. Ferdinand von Miller the Younger and a worker accompanied the transport boxes that were shipped to America on the steamship Westphalia . The ship arrived in New York on September 6, 1871, but was initially placed in quarantine because five passengers had died of cholera during the crossing .
According to his diaries, von Miller's stay in America turned out to be grueling, as he was continuously celebrated by the enthusiastic public. When he arrived in Cincinnati after visiting Washington, DC and Richmond, Virginia , to witness the construction and inauguration of the well, he found that the hoist that had been prepared was far too weak and that the local workers were initially unwilling to to provide adequate facilities. It was only after an impressive experiment with the heaviest transport crate that she changed her mind.
The next problem was the insufficient pressure of the water pipe originally intended to supply the well. A decision had to be made to use water from a reservoir higher up in order to maintain sufficient pressure. The water had to rise 40 feet and then spread out according to the plans. The reservoir now selected, however, did not have a line that would have led to the location of the well. Immediately, regardless of the cost, the authorities had Vine Street dug up and the tram service shut down in order to lay a new line.
When von Miller opened the valve on the upper figure of the fountain to check the water pressure again, a copper pipe connection promptly broke: Now the pressure was too high and part of the water had to be diverted.
After this problem was resolved, von Miller was faced with plans to open the well that he believed to be impracticable. As long as they had worked on the fountain, it had been hidden from the public by a wooden wall, but when it opened it was supposed to be covered with fabric. Along with the cloth cover, two huge American flags were to be raised when the fountain was revealed. Because the weight of the fabric was too heavy, von Miller suggested not pulling it up, but rather let it go up in flames for the sake of the dramatic effect. This met with vehement rejection, as burning the American flag was unthinkable for the locals. So the flags were removed from the program and only the huge fabric cover for the fountain was sewn. Since there was no more scaffolding available than the fountain was supposed to be covered with, draping the fabric over the figures and the basin was extremely difficult. On the morning of the inauguration day, rows of seats were hastily erected for the preferred audience, some of which then collapsed among the visitors and led to several injuries.
But despite all these problems, the fountain was unveiled on October 6, 1871, as planned, to around 20,000 spectators.
In a description of the city from 1901, the effects of the well construction on urban development are appreciated: “The greatest artistic ornament in Cincinnati is undisputedly the Tyler Davidson fountain on the esplanade of Fifth Street, between Vine and Walnut Street, a gift of Mr. Henry Probasco. Lower Cincinnati owes one of its most imposing parts of the city to this fountain. Previously, the place where the fountain now rises was used for market purposes. Wretched, low wooden stalls surrounded the market. But when the esplanade was built, these huts gradually disappeared [...] "
Fountain figures
The 13 meter high fountain is adorned with a total of 13 figures and four bas-reliefs , all of which symbolize the value of water for mankind. The central fountain figure, from the palms of which the fountains spray, represents the genius of water. Below this figure are four male figures who embody the use of water for all life. The boys' figures further outside, on the other hand, are supposed to symbolize the joys that the water can give. At the foot of the well, the benefits of water for industry are shown.
The central figure, which weighs more than nine tons, has 438 holes in each palm from which the water sprays. It falls first into the upper basin and then into the granite-framed basin, at the edges of which the four figures with gargoyles, which Probasco wanted in addition to the original plan, stand, from which the population could help themselves with drinking water. All figures together weigh more than 24 tons. There are also around 85 tons of granite. About 500 gallons (about 1900 liters) of water flow through the well every minute . The fountain has been rotated and moved several times in the course of its history, most recently in 2006.
Displacement and damage
In 1970 the fountain was moved to another location. The first damage to the bronze parts was discovered, which was attempted to be countered by inserting an inner support frame made of steel and concrete. However, corrosion of the steel and damage to the cement caused by exposure to the cold further damaged the bronze of the figures. A restoration was therefore carried out in 1999 and 2000.
Others
The fountain, which is surrounded by a pool 43 feet (13.11 meters) in diameter, is featured on the logo of the Munich Sister City Association of Greater Cincinnati. It is shut down in winter and is put back into operation in April for the first home game of the Cincinnati Reds . It is considered the oldest monument in downtown Cincinnati and the most visited fountain in the United States.
literature
- Gerhard Bott: The Tyler Davidson Fountain in Cincinnati , in: Katharina and Gerhard Bott: Vice Versa. German painters in America, American painters in Germany (1813–1913 / Deutsches Historisches Museum Berlin / German and English), Hirmer, Munich 1996, ISBN 978-3-7774-7180-8 , pp. 150–164
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b - ( Memento of the original from November 26, 2004 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from July 26th, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from July 26th, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ - ( Memento of the original from July 26th, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b - ( Memento of the original from July 27, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://www.cincinnati.com/fountain/
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from July 26th, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ - ( Memento of the original from July 26th, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Coordinates: 39 ° 6 '4 " N , 84 ° 30' 44" W.