Christian Wahl
Encyclopedia
Christian Wahl is a public artwork by Italian
artist Gaetano Trentanove
located in Wahl Park, which is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, United States
. The bronze
bust of Milwaukee businessman Christian Wahl was created in 1903, and is set atop a red granite
pedestal. Altogether it measures 8 feet in height.
of Christian Wahl depicts a kindly balding older gentleman sporting a beard and mustache, and wearing an overcoat, suit and tie. The sculpture sits on a red granite base with an inscription on the back stating: He gave/ his ripest years and study/ to the parks/ rewarded alive/ by/ grateful remembrance. This inscription is signed. There is an inscription on the front of the base that states: In memory of Christian Wahl/ born February 12, 1829/ died October 19, 1901. It is located in Wahl Park, on the north side of Milwaukee, and is administered by the Milwaukee County, Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture.
in 1829 and moved with his family to a farm 5 miles south of Milwaukee in 1846. After traveling extensively, he settled in Chicago
where he joined his brother in the glue business. Wahl served on Chicago's city council and board of education. Upon retiring, he moved back to Milwaukee, purchasing a home on Prospect Avenue. Wahl's home soon became the center of Milwaukee's German-American society, as he often hosted musical and literary events. "During the last years of his life, as a wealthy, retired businessman, Wahl was president of the first City Park Board in the board's first decade. His strong leadership was instrumental in the development of the city's park system and he took a deep personal interest in the completion of Lake Park." When Wahl died in 1901, Der Herald, Milwaukee's German-language newspaper, stated that his altruistic labor deserved a monument, and the city's citizens agreed.
The sculpture was originally placed in the outside court between two porticoes in Lake Park, Milwaukee
. The dedication ceremonies, planned to coincide with the opening of a park pavilion, took place on July 11, 1903. "Judge George H. Noyes made the presentation speech, the bust remaining with the American flag. As Judge Noyes ceased speaking Clauder's Military Band struck up The Star Spangled Banner, while Cyril Gordon Weld, the grandson of Mr. Wahl, cut the cord that held the national colors about the bust, and the flag full, disclosing the features of Christian Wahl." The dedication ended with Wahl's widow presented a collection of large palm trees, assembled by the late Wahl, to the park board.
Wahl Park was named in Christian Wahl's honor in 1956, and Wahl's bust was moved there in 1960.
Christian Wahl was recognized during his lifetime. The street leading from the southeast into Lake Park is named Wahl Avenue.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
artist Gaetano Trentanove
Gaetano Trentanove
Gaetano Trentanove was an Italian and American sculptor.Trentanove was born in Florence, Italy, a goldsmith's son...
located in Wahl Park, which is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
bust of Milwaukee businessman Christian Wahl was created in 1903, and is set atop a red granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
pedestal. Altogether it measures 8 feet in height.
Description
The bronze bustBust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
of Christian Wahl depicts a kindly balding older gentleman sporting a beard and mustache, and wearing an overcoat, suit and tie. The sculpture sits on a red granite base with an inscription on the back stating: He gave/ his ripest years and study/ to the parks/ rewarded alive/ by/ grateful remembrance. This inscription is signed. There is an inscription on the front of the base that states: In memory of Christian Wahl/ born February 12, 1829/ died October 19, 1901. It is located in Wahl Park, on the north side of Milwaukee, and is administered by the Milwaukee County, Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture.
Historical information
Christian Wahl was a wealthy businessman often referred to as the father of Milwaukee's public parks because he led most of the planning of the county's park system. Wahl was born in BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in 1829 and moved with his family to a farm 5 miles south of Milwaukee in 1846. After traveling extensively, he settled in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
where he joined his brother in the glue business. Wahl served on Chicago's city council and board of education. Upon retiring, he moved back to Milwaukee, purchasing a home on Prospect Avenue. Wahl's home soon became the center of Milwaukee's German-American society, as he often hosted musical and literary events. "During the last years of his life, as a wealthy, retired businessman, Wahl was president of the first City Park Board in the board's first decade. His strong leadership was instrumental in the development of the city's park system and he took a deep personal interest in the completion of Lake Park." When Wahl died in 1901, Der Herald, Milwaukee's German-language newspaper, stated that his altruistic labor deserved a monument, and the city's citizens agreed.
The sculpture was originally placed in the outside court between two porticoes in Lake Park, Milwaukee
Lake Park, Milwaukee
Lake Park, located on Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an urban park covering . The park is located just north of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Lake Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City along with many others.Lake Park is home to the last...
. The dedication ceremonies, planned to coincide with the opening of a park pavilion, took place on July 11, 1903. "Judge George H. Noyes made the presentation speech, the bust remaining with the American flag. As Judge Noyes ceased speaking Clauder's Military Band struck up The Star Spangled Banner, while Cyril Gordon Weld, the grandson of Mr. Wahl, cut the cord that held the national colors about the bust, and the flag full, disclosing the features of Christian Wahl." The dedication ended with Wahl's widow presented a collection of large palm trees, assembled by the late Wahl, to the park board.
Wahl Park was named in Christian Wahl's honor in 1956, and Wahl's bust was moved there in 1960.
Christian Wahl was recognized during his lifetime. The street leading from the southeast into Lake Park is named Wahl Avenue.