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Walt Whitman (Davidson)

1939 sculptures1957 sculpturesBronze sculptures in PennsylvaniaLandmarks in PhiladelphiaMonuments and memorials in Philadelphia
Outdoor sculptures in PhiladelphiaSculptures of men in New York (state)Sculptures of men in PennsylvaniaStatues in PennsylvaniaStatues of writersWalt Whitman
Whitman Philly Broad St
Whitman Philly Broad St

Walt Whitman is a statue by Jo Davidson of which there are several castings. Davidson began working on a depiction of Walt Whitman after entering a competition for one in 1925. Although that statue was never realized, Davidson continued to refine what he had started.When working on the statue Davidson first made a life-sized clay nude, then had a special armature created that allowed him to independently move the arms and legs, allowing him to get the exact movement that he was seeking. Davidson stated, "Nothing in my statue of Walt Whitman could be static and finally, I got the rhythm I was after."The statue was first exhibited at the New York Worlds Fair in 1939. Then, also in 1939 Averell Harriman (whom Davidson had already done a bust of) suggested to Davidson that the work be placed in the Bear Mountain State Park. Davidson inspected the site, found it acceptable and the statue was placed there. At the statue’s unveiling New York Park Commissioner Robert Moses quipped, "I am not sure if this is a statue of Walt Whitman by Jo Davidson or a statue of Jo Davidson by Walt Whitman." Another casting of the statue was done in 1957, purchased by the Fairmount Park Art Association and placed at the intersection of Broad Street and Packer Avenue, near the approach to the Walt Whitman Bridge.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Walt Whitman (Davidson) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Walt Whitman (Davidson)
Packer Avenue, Philadelphia South Philadelphia

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Latitude Longitude
N 39.9118 ° E -75.172 °
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Packer Avenue 1399
19145 Philadelphia, South Philadelphia
Pennsylvania, United States
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Whitman Philly Broad St
Whitman Philly Broad St
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Naval Hospital Philadelphia
Naval Hospital Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Naval Hospital was the first high-rise hospital building constructed by the United States Navy. At its 1935 opening it represented a state-of-the-art facility for the Navy with 650 beds and a total floor space of 352,000 square feet (32,700 m2). The dedicated medical purpose of this facility contributed to the World War II mission as the center for amputation, orthopedic and prosthetic services for Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard veterans residing east of the Rocky Mountains. The complex was developed as a tree-lined campus of 56 buildings and structures with the main high-rise building placed at the center and augmented with amenities of a Navy Base Exchange (BX) and gas station. The central building was flanked by lower buildings in a classical Beaux-Arts arrangement. It was a striking 15-story Art Deco steel-framed tower, faced with yellow brick and brown terra cotta and described in a survey of Philadelphia architecture as "one of the finest Art Deco buildings in the city." The height was a significant departure from the two- or three-story naval hospital complexes that preceded it. Detailing the building's interior included such significant features as anodized aluminum heater grates depicting a ship in full sail. The grates were set in marble panels in the vestibule and below were air intakes in the shape of dolphins. By the late 1970s declining use of the facility and studies that determined the building incapable of being renovated for modern medical use signaled the end of the hospital's role as major medical facility for the Navy. In 1988, under the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1988 (BRAC), the Philadelphia Naval Hospital was slated for closure and disposal. All functions were relocated from the complex in 1993, and since that date the buildings were vacant and overseen by a small security and maintenance staff. The city of Philadelphia was approved to purchase it for re-use. It was finally demolished on 9 June 2001 at 7:02 A.M.