Have you ever before heard of Philip Reid? How about the Statue of Freedom? Don’t worry, I hadn’t either which goes to show you that there is always more stories, interesting stories at that, to learn from the history of our nation.
Another great release from Sleeping Bear Press, in Philip Reid Saves The Statue of Freedom we learn the story of Philip Reid, a man who had been born into slavery and raised on a South Carolina farm. Eventually sold to a sculptor named Clark Mills who was from Washington, D.C. and was opening a foundry Philip Reid came to be skilled in the making and repair of the plaster molds needed for the process of creating large bronze objects.
Clark Mills was hired by the United States government to create a bronze statue called Freedom, that would stand atop the dome of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. When Clark Mills and Philip Reid arrived to collect the large sections of the model they discovered a BIG problem. The Italian craftsman who had created the plaster model had covered all the seams in plaster, making them virtually impossible to find!
Unless the Italian received more money he refused to tell anyone how the model could be taken apart for transport to the foundry. He also informed them that only he could find the seams and take apart the model without breaking it.
With about 10 men already standing around in fear of touching the model, Philip Reid came to save the day and the statue. Working slowly and carefully he managed to not only find the seams, but to disassemble the model so that the pieces could be taken to the foundry!
There’s to the story and I HIGHLY recommend this great book as a way to share this interesting piece of our nation’s history with your kiddos. Written by Steven Sellers Lapham and Eugene Walton, Philip Reid Saves The Statue of Freedom, is illustrated by R. Gregory Christie and is recommended for Ages 6-10.
Philip Reid Saves The Statue of Freedom :: $16.99
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