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culture

working on a model in wax. At his atelier, he
gathered a team of sculptors and other artists to
work on the various aspects of the design. The
team included such famous names as Angelo
Collombo, Giuseppe Massari, and Richard
Pousette-Dart, the renowned painter who
collaborated with Herbert Kammerer on the
sphere’s lettering. The original plaster moulds,
executed by Flitzer, were ready in 1938 and were
sent to the Bruno Bearzi Atelier in Florence for
casting. Bearzi cast the sphere’s elements from
these plaster moulds using a “lost wax” process
using a bronze/zinc high-tin alloy with added
lead.

The Sphere represents 85 constellations. They
are hollow, with holes to allow rainwater and
condensation to run off. The rotation axis is
oriented to the North Star, and the design shows
the stars as seen from Geneva. The monument
itself consists of a spherical frame studded with Assembly Hall, but Manship had set the condition
hollow astronomical figures in gilded bronze of having a pool of water: actually, his initial idea
leaf and stars, and originally, it rotated around was to have 15m to 80m pool and to have the
an axis placed on a semi-circular support. All the Sphere rotating in the middle of it. Another idea
astronomical figures are of gilded bronze, and was the upper gallery near the Assembly Hall,
840 stars of four different sizes are of 80 per cent seen from Salle des Pas Perdues. But the size of
silver nickel alloy. The diameter of the sphere is the pool and the dimension of the Sphere would
3.58m, and the overall diameter 4.10m, with a have blocked the panoramic view and destroyed
total weight of 5,800 kg. As a signature, it bears the impression of peace and harmony, as well as
Manship’s self-portrait with his tools, in profile, closing the lake view. The final option was the
hidden among the constellations. It is placed on Court d’Honneur, but a pool that size could not
a plinth representing four turtles. be placed there as it would have taken almost the
whole surface of the Court, which was supposed
Will the self-portrait be restored? I know some to be part of the Park. There was also a proposal
pieces were detached, unfortunately, and I to place the Sphere outside the premises, on the
remember seeing them with my colleagues at Place des Nations.
the exposition in 2003, and I keep the rarest
photos of the pieces, including the Manship This could be an interesting idea, because today
portrait. And I remember seeing it hidden the Sphere is perceived as a Geneva International
in the Sphere before it detached: it was landmark, symbolizing the capital of peace and
the previous architect who showed me the diplomacy. This is the image and perception of
secret. Will this secret return to the Sphere? the Sphere today.
If this is a secret, let’s then keep it as a secret But in the 1930s the main purpose was still to
– just wait and see… have a Memorial to President Wilson, rather
than to Geneva, and not to shift attention to
How was the place chosen? If it is a Spirit of other political figures. So it was decided to place
Geneva monument, why it was placed inside it inside the premises of the League. For that,
the grounds, not so visible to the public? Paul Manship quickly adjusted his idea to have
This is a very legitimate question, and several a smaller pool, similar to the one that at the New
options were indeed considered, that turned York Fair, but not touching the Court d’Honneur
out to be more political than it may seem today. too much. In the beginning, it was decided to
One of the options was to place it in front of the place it in the middle of the Court, but finally, it

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