Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial
Encyclopedia
Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial (also known as: "Man at the Wheel" statue or "Fishermen's Memorial Cenotaph") is a historic memorial cenotaph
sculpture
on South Stacy Boulevard, near entrance of Stacy Esplanade in Gloucester, Massachusetts
, built in 1925.
statue of a fisherman dressed in oilskins standing braced at the wheel on the sloping deck
of his ship. It is positioned so that the fisherman is looking out over Gloucester Harbor. The fisherman in the sculpture was modeled after Capt. Clayton Morrissey, a prominent Gloucester fisherman, once the captain of the Effie M. Morrissey
. A small plaque
on the north or street-facing side of the base reads, "Memorial To The Gloucester Fisherman, August 23, 1923." A larger recessed panel on the front or harbor-facing side of the base holds an inscription of bronze letters taken from the Bible
's , which reads: "They That Go Down To The Sea In Ships 1623-1923."
(1882–1950) designed the sculpture, and it was cast by the Gorham Company of Providence, Rhode Island
, in 1925. According to the National Park Service:
The Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1996.
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
on South Stacy Boulevard, near entrance of Stacy Esplanade in Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
, built in 1925.
Description
It is an 8 feet (2.4 m), bronzeBronze
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...
statue of a fisherman dressed in oilskins standing braced at the wheel on the sloping deck
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
of his ship. It is positioned so that the fisherman is looking out over Gloucester Harbor. The fisherman in the sculpture was modeled after Capt. Clayton Morrissey, a prominent Gloucester fisherman, once the captain of the Effie M. Morrissey
Effie M. Morrissey
The Effie M. Morrissey was a schooner skippered by Robert Bartlett that made many scientific expeditions to the Arctic, sponsored by American museums, the Explorers Club and the National Geographic Society. It also helped survey the Arctic for the United States Government during World War II...
. A small plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
on the north or street-facing side of the base reads, "Memorial To The Gloucester Fisherman, August 23, 1923." A larger recessed panel on the front or harbor-facing side of the base holds an inscription of bronze letters taken from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
's , which reads: "They That Go Down To The Sea In Ships 1623-1923."
History
The English sculptor Leonard CraskeLeonard Craske
Leonard Craske was a sculptor. Craske was born and raised in London, England. After emigrating to the USA and settling in Boston, he became an accomplished sculptor, creating the well-known Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial in Gloucester, Massachusetts, the work for which he is best remembered...
(1882–1950) designed the sculpture, and it was cast by the Gorham Company of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, in 1925. According to the National Park Service:
The Gloucester Tercentenary Permanent Memorial Association sponsored an artistic competition to commemorate Gloucester's 300th anniversary and to permanently memorialize the thousands of fishermen lost at sea in the first three centuries of Gloucester's history. In 1879 alone, 249 fishermen and 29 vessels were lost during a terrible storm. In preparing for the competition, Craske spent many hours aboard fishing schooners, sketching and photographing fishermen at work. His design was accepted and cast at a cost of $10,000. Generally acknowledged as Craske's finest work, the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial is viewed by thousands of visitors annually and has become a symbol of the city, commemorating Gloucester's link to the sea.
The Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1996.