Page 2 - Newsletter
P. 2
The Lincoln Statue of the
Philadelphia High School for Girls
By Dorothy G. Kapenstein Pink Marble Hall to welcome those
headed for the auditorium and
The Lincoln Statue of the students going to the music room.
Philadelphia Hugh School for Girls He now stands on a pedestal
about eight inches high that
Recently a young alumna asked makes him appear even taller
"How did the statue of Lincoln get than his six feet ten inches in
to the Pink Marble Hallway?" My height. When I was a student at
answer is "On a moving van when
he left his home in the 1933 17th & Spring
building at Garden (1942-
17th and 1946) he stood
Spring Garden on the first
(now the floor in the
Masterman middle of the
School)." He main hall
first resided in mounted on a
the 1876 great high
building which pedestal. He
he came to at faced Spring
some time in Garden Street
the early with his back to
1900's. Then the auditorium.
he moved to
the 1933 Our Lincoln
building that is a copy of an original work of art
replaced it. He arrived at the by one of the nation's most
present GHS building at Broad and revered sculptors, Augustus Saint-
Olney in 1958. At this time, we Gaudens (1848-1907). Oddly
have nothing in writing to say how enough, this artist's birth year
he entered his new home, but it was the year of the founding of
was most likely flat on his back on the Girls Normal school, the
some type of cart because he was ancestor of our very own
too tall to get through any of the Philadelphia High School for Girls.
entrances standing up. This was He is highly regarded by art
probably also the case with the historians for his realistic portrait
three lovely ladies (Winged statures. He is also much
Victory, Venus De Milo and the admired for his design of one of
Roman Matron) who came with the most famous United States
him. In his present home, Lincoln coins, the Saint- Gaudens $20.00
stands at the very front of the
