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Daniel Chester French (1850–1931)
Daniel Chester French was a leading figure in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artistic circles in America and is generally regarded as one of the nation's most significant sculptors. French studied art in his native Massachusetts, where he received his earliest commissions, notably the Minute Man, in Concord. In the 1880s, he moved to New York City where he was commissioned to sculpt several significant works of public sculpture. French frequently worked closely with architects in the preparation of sculpture for public buildings. In New York, he worked with Charles McKim on Columbia's Alma Mater; with Cass Gilbert for the design of the Four Continents, which is in front of the U.S. Custom House at Bowling Green; with James Brown Lord at the Appellate Division Courthouse; and with Bruce Price on the Richard Morris Hunt Memorial on Fifth Avenue. French's most famous work is his Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. |
Abiel Abbot Low (1811–93)
Abiel Abbot Low was one of the most successful Americans involved in the China trade. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Low was part of the large-scale migration of New England merchants to New York City in the early nineteenth century. He built clipper ships that could travel exceptionally fast and was, therefore, able to rapidly transport tea and other goods from China to New York. Low erected a large warehouse on John Street, near the East River, and a mansion on Pierrepont Place in Brooklyn, both of which survive today. Low also served as president of the New York Chamber of Commerce. His fortune was inherited by his son Seth Low. | |
Seth Low (1850–1916)
Born in Brooklyn, Seth Low was the son of China trader Abiel Abbot Low. After spending a few years in his father's business, Low left to run for mayor of Brooklyn, serving as a reformer for four years. Following this, in 1890, Low was appointed president of Columbia College. He expanded and modernized Columbia's curriculum and was responsible for the decision to move to Morningside Heights. Low worked closely with Charles McKim in the design of the new campus and donated $1 million for the construction of Low Library, a memorial to his father from whom he had inherited his fortune. He resigned from the Columbia presidency in 1901 to run for the mayoralty of New York City, serving one two-year term. | |
Charles McKim (1847–1909)
Charles McKim was one of the most prominent architects in America at the turn of the twentieth century. He studied at Harvard for one year before deciding to become an architect. He moved to Paris to study at the École des Beaux-Arts, and, upon returning to the United States, worked in the office of Henry Hobson Richardson. In the late 1870s, McKim established the firm of McKim, Mead, and Bigelow, which became McKim, Mead, and White in 1879. The firm designed many of the most important buildings in America over the next three decades. McKim was responsible for such masterpieces as the Morgan Library, Pennsylvania Station, the Harvard Club, and the University Club, as well as the plan for Columbia and the design of Low Library and the school's early classroom buildings. McKim was a mentor to younger architects and served as an adviser to many large-scale projects, including the replanning of Washington, D.C., and the establishment of the American Academy in Rome. | |
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