THE BELA LYON PRATT SESQUICENTENNIAL

December 11, 2017 is the 150th birth anniversary of Sculptor / designer Bela Lyon Pratt.

Born in Norwich, Connecticut in 1847, in numismatic circles Pratt is best known for his design of the quarter and half eagle Indian head coins of 1908 to 1929. The Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich presented a retrospective of Pratt's work with an opening of the exhibit October 15th, and will continue through early January 2018. Occupying three separate exhibit rooms with works by Pratt, and some by other family members including Great Granddaughter Amy Laugesen. The exhibit borrowed works from private collectors, family members and other sources to stage the most extensive retrospective of his work since his memorial exhibition held in 1918 at the Museum of Fine Art, Boston. Pratt was the inaugural sculpting professor at the School of the MFA from 1893 until his death on May 18th, 1917.

The Big Eagle was a magnificent piece set on top of the Abington Arch, a Civil War Memorial at the eleven acre Island Grove Park, in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Pratt’s Eagle stands 11' 4" tall with a wingspan of 6' 8". This photo shows Pratt standing on top of the sculpture during its installation in 1912.

LEFT: The Abington Eagle, a/k/a The Big Eagle, 1912, Bela Lyon Pratt. Photo courtesy of The Historical Society of Old Abington, Inc.

RIGHT: The Whaleman, 1912, Bronze, Bela Lyon Pratt, for New Bedford, MA. Photo courtesy of the Pratt Family archives.

For more information on the Slater Memorial Museum, see:
http://www.slatermuseum.org/

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