Seth Kaller, Inc.

In 1899, Albert Nelson Marquis (1855-1943) published the first edition of Who’s Who in America with biographical information on 8,602 “leaders and achievers” from “every significant field of endeavor.” For the twelfth volume, to be published in 1922 or 1923, French received a printed version of his prior entry with a request for updates. French added his latest and greatest accomplishment, the completion in 1920 of his sculpture for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH. Printed Entry for Who’s Who in America, with handwritten correction, signed by French at bottom. October 1, 1921. New York City. 1 p. 8½ x 10¾ in.

Inventory #24358       Price: $1,000

Historic Background

The Lincoln Memorial Committee had selected French in 1914 to create a Lincoln statue as part of the memorial to be designed by architect Henry Bacon (1866-1924). French was the personal choice of Bacon, with whom he had collaborated for nearly 25 years. French began work in December 1914. Over the next two years, he worked on models in clay and plaster at Chesterwood, making various changes. In October 1916, he completed a six-foot plaster model, originally to be scaled up to a 12-foot bronze image. After consulting with Bacon in the memorial then under construction, they decided that a much larger 19-foot sculpture of marble was more appropriate.

It took a full year for the Piccirilli Brothers in New York City to transfer French’s design to marble blocks. The statue was assembled in the memorial in 1920, but not formally dedicated until May 30, 1922.

Volume 12 of Who’s Who in America contains sketches of 24,278 persons in 3,520 pages.

Complete Transcript [with additions by French in bold]

FRENCH, Daniel Chester, sculptor; b. Exeter, N.H., Apr. 20, 1850, s. Hon. Henry Flagg and Anne (Richardson) F.; mass. Inst. Tech., 1 yr.; under Dr. William Rimmer, Boston, Thomas Ball, Florence; (hon. A.M., Dartmouth, 1898, Yale, 1913, Harvard, 1917; Litt.D. Columbia University, 1913); m. Mary French, of Washington, 1888. Had studio in Washington, 1876-8; in Boston and Concord, Mass., 1878-87, in New York since 1887. Among his best known works are: “The Minute Man of Concord,” at Concord, Mass.; a statue of Gen. Cass, in the Capitol at Washington; statue of Rufus Choate, Boston Ct. House; John Harvard, at Cambridge, Mass., and Thomas Starr King statue; “Dr. Gallaudet and His First Deaf-Mute Pupil, the Milmore Memorial (3d class medal at Paris Salon, 1892); and colossal “Statue of the Republic,” at Chicago Expn.; bronze doors, Boston Pub. Library; statue of Alma Mater, Columbia Coll.; 4 groups—Europe, Asia, Africa and America—in front of New York Custom House; statue of E. Rockwood Hoar, Worcester, 1908; statue of Gov. James Oglethorpe, Savannah, Ga., 1910; statue of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln, Neb., 1912, ^statue of Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln Memorial, 1920 Washington, D.C., 1920,^etc. Mem. Nat. Comm. Fine Arts, 1910-15 (chmn. 1912-15). Medal of honor, Paris Exposition, 1900. N.A., 1902; trustee Met. Mus. Of Art; mem. Nat. Sculpture Soc. (hon. Pres.), Architectural League, Accademia di S. Luca, Rome, Am. Acad. Arts and Letters; fellow Am. Acad. Arts and Sciences, Chevalier Legion of Honor (France), 1910. Clubs: Century, Arts. Country Home: Stockbridge, Mass. Address: 12 W. 8th St., New York, N.Y.

Daniel Chester French (1850-1931) established a summer home and studio in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, known as Chesterwood. By 1921, he had already created his most famous works, which included the statues of John Harvard, the Minute Man of Concord, and his seated Lincoln for the Lincoln Memorial. He died in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.