Special to the Patriot-Bridge
The Charlestown Branch of the Boston Public Library will host a special presentation on the remarkable story behind the creation of the Paul Revere Monument. Nancy Blanton, Director of Outreach and Engagement at the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum, will delve into the sculptor’s time in Charlestown and his decades-long dedication to bringing his vision to life.
Artist Cyrus Dallin (1861-1944), originally from Utah Territory, moved to Boston in 1880 to study sculpture. He was just a 22-year-old fledgling sculptor, when he shocked the Boston art scene by winning a national competition to create a monument in honor of Paul Revere, to then be installed in the North End. Dallin lived in Charlestown when he began his work on creating this monument.
Join Nancy Blanton, Director of Outreach and Engagement at the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum in Arlington (MA) to hear the riveting story behind the creation of this beloved Boston landmark. Learn about the supportive role the Hall family of Charlestown played in Dallin’s efforts to secure the commission and see it through. Neither Dallin nor the Halls could have predicted that the project would involve the creation of seven different models over five decades. Dallin’s vision was finally realized in 1940, when the Paul Revere Monument was dedicated in Boston’s North End Prado where it still stands today.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A, since many of Cyrus Dallin’s 260 plus works are located here in Massachusetts, including public sculptures and pieces in the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum. Some of the local pieces, one in particular, have come under a national and international discussion regarding public monuments and cultural appropriation.
Listings info. for March 6:
Cyrus Dallin, His Time in Charlestown, and 57 Year Quest to Raise Boston’s Paul Revere Monument. Presentation given by Nancy Blanton, Director of Outreach and Engagement at the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum. Hosted by the Friends of the Charlestown Branch of the Boston Public Library. Thursday, March 6, 6:30 pm. Free and open to all. Wheelchair accessible; conveniently located near public transportation. Charlestown Branch Library, 179 Main Street, Charlestown. For more information: www.facebook.com/FriendsCharlestownBranchLibrary,
friendsofcharlestownlib@gmail.com, 617-242-1248.
Save the following dates for the Friends’ Spring 2025 program, in collaboration with the Bunker Hill Monument Association, to present the following Thursday evening talks at the Library starting at 6:00 pm:
— April 3: Keith Stokes, a black descendant of the New Orleans Jewish merchant and philanthropist Judah Touro will talk about how that man made a major contribution to the completion of the monument.;
— April 10: Historian Allan Hoffman will reflect on the Marquis de Lafayette’s role in the Revolutionary War and his tour of the US during the cornerstone laying at the Bunker Hill Monument.;
— May 15: Melanie Kirkpatrick, author of “Lady Editor” a biography of Sarah Josepha Hale will discuss the intriguing woman and connect her to the Monument.
The Friends of the Charlestown Branch of the Boston Public Library was formed in 1953, becoming the second Friends group to organize within the Boston Public Library system. As a non-profit organization, the Friends schedule four to six evening adult programs per year, helps to support programs for children held during the day, and maintains the library’s landscaping. The mission of the Friends remains today what it was in 1953: to serve as an advocacy and support group for the needs of the Charlestown Branch Library, its staff, and users.
facebook.com/FriendsCharlestownBranchLibrary