California Volunteers (sculpture)

California Volunteers, also known as the California Volunteers' Memorial and the Spanish–American War Memorial,[1][2] is an outdoor sculpture installed in 1906 by Douglas Tilden.

California Volunteers
The monument in 2013
Location in San Francisco
California Volunteers (sculpture) (San Francisco Bay Area)
Coordinates37°46′08″N 122°25′37″W
LocationMarket and Dolores in San Francisco, California, United States
DesignerDouglas Tilden
Typesculpture
Material
Height26 feet (7.9 m) from ground level
Completion dateAugust 12, 1906 (1906-08-12)
Dedicated toSpanish–American War veterans from California

History

California Volunteers was originally installed at the intersection of Market and Van Ness,[3] per the request of the sponsoring committee of citizens and the sculptor.

This committee and the sculptor, Douglas Tilden, are unanimous in favor of locating this, the most important of our public monuments, at the junction of Van Ness avenue and Market street. There is a fine open space there. Public parades usually pass by the very spot and the armory of the First California Regiment is but a few blocks distant.

— James D. Phelan, W.J. Martin, and M. H. de Young, Committee of Citizens letter to the Board of Park Commissioners, December 12, 1905[4]

The monument cost $25,000.[5] Funding for the monument came from surplus donations for a reception held for the volunteers from California upon their return from the Philippines.[6]

Scene from the dedication ceremony on August 12, 1906

The monument was dedicated on Sunday, August 12, 1906. During the ceremony, several dignitaries gave speeches, including former San Francisco Mayor Phelan; current Mayor Schmitz; California Governor Pardee; and General James F. Smith, Governor-General of the Philippines.[3]

In 1925, it was moved to its present location at the corner of Market and Dolores Street.[7][8]

Design

The central figure depicts Bellona, goddess of war, riding on the back of Pegasus, the winged horse.[8] (The 1906 San Francisco Call article reporting from the dedication ceremony describes the riding figure as Victory). There are two soldiers on the monument, one fallen, and one standing to the side armed with a pistol. One side of the pedestal is inscribed with the text "Erected by the Citizens of San Francisco in Honor of the California Volunteers, Spanish–American War, 1898. First to the Front."[3] The bronze figures are 16 feet (4.9 m) tall and 10 feet (3.0 m) long, mounted on a granite base another 10 feet (3.0 m) tall.[8]

Shortly after its dedication in August 1906, Will Sparks criticized the original placement of the monument at Market and Van Ness, stating "from many points of view, including one of the most important, the [silhouette] is absolutely meaningless. Looking down Van Ness avenue it is impossible to tell what it is that surmounts the pedestal. There is nothing but a tangled mess of bronze." Sparks went on to recommend the monument should be relocated "up beside a building where only the one impressive side would show. Do this with it and it will become a great monument. As it is there is much that is disappointing."[9]

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See also

References
  1. "California Volunteers' Memorial". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  2. "California Volunteers, Spanish–American War Memorial – San Francisco, CA". Waymarking. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  3. "Monument Dedicated to Memory of California Volunteers". San Francisco Call. 100 (74). 13 August 1906. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  4. "Asks consent of the Park Commissioners". San Francisco Call. 99 (14). 14 December 1905. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  5. "Park Affairs are Discussed". San Francisco Call. 23 December 1905. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  6. "San Francisco and Vicinity in Brief: Will Unveil Spanish War Monuments". Sacramento Union. 2 August 1906. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  7. Downs, Tom (November 1, 2010). Walking San Francisco: 33 Savvy Tours Exploring Steep Streets, Grand Hotels, Dive Bars, and Waterfront Parks. Wilderness Press. p. 155. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  8. Cindy (17 July 2012). "California Volunteers Memorial on Market Street". Art and Architecture-SF (blog). Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  9. Sparks, Will (19 August 1906). "Good and Bad Points of the Monument to Volunteers". San Francisco Call. 100 (80). Retrieved 14 September 2017.
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