Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Winged Victory

"Life" by sculptor Charles Adrian Pillars (1870-1937), based upon the Greek "Winged Victory of Samothrace", resides in Jacksonville, Florida's Memorial Park and honors the 1200 Floridians who perished during World War I.  Erected in 1924 (no pun intended), Pillars did not include any genitalia on the male figure as not offend the "prudish sensibilities" of evangelical Southern Baptists during that era.  Still not satisfied, local clergy demanded the offending region be covered and a bronze 'diaper' was added in 1925.  The bare bosoms of the female figures however, didn't seem to bother the religious leadership.  As the story goes, the tacked-on covering was unceremoniously stolen in 1942 and (more than likely) sold for scrap due to the scarcity of bronze during World War II. 



Photos by Phillipthe2 using Olympus Camedia C-1400L

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