Creation Date
Sculpture creation date: 1939
Preview
Description
Black and white photograph of a bronze statue of a kneeling lobsterman seen in profile as he works with a lobster on the stone base in front of him. The photograph shows a side view of a bronze sculpture of a man kneeling on one knee, leaning forward and gripping a lobster placed on the rectangular base in front of him. The sculpture is displayed on a city street with trees and tall office buildings visible in the background. The figure wears rolled-up sleeves and work clothes, and his head bends downward as his hands work to peg the lobster's claw. The composition shows a moment of focused work. This sculpture is titled "The Maine Lobsterman" and was created by Victor Kahill, with H. Eloy "Snoody" Johnson serving as the model; it was originally commissioned for the 1939 World's Fair as a plaster statue, later displayed in Portland City Hall for 16 years, and eventually cast in bronze and placed in Congress Square, Portland, Maine. Though considered a symbol of the Maine lobster industry, the pose was the artist's creation and does not represent the way lobstermen actually pegged lobsters. 1994. Unidentified, photographer. (See p17021-p17042)(NA4800.)
Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) (1990-1995) was a nationwide survey that ran from 1990-1995 documenting America’s outdoor sculpture. Established in 1990, SOS! helped educate local communities about America’s endangered sculptural heritage. The Maine Arts Commission was one of 106 organizations to participate in this survey.
Topic
Sculpture
Collection
MF161
Series Number
NA4800
Identifier
p17022
Recommended Citation
Kahill, Victor, "The Maine Lobsterman" (1994). Northeast Archives of Folklore and Oral History Image Gallery. 827.
https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/nafoh_gallery/827
Rights and Access Note
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for non-commercial uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). For more information, contact Special Collections.
Existence and Location of Originals
Located at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress: AFC 2012/047 https://lccn.loc.gov/2013655211.
Keywords
Save Outdoor Sculpture