This is a wonderful sculpture, a replica of the gigantic one that graced the 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition. . It was created by Daniel Chester French, who also did this 1/3 size replica. The original was plaster; this one is gold leaf over bronze, and at sunrise and sunset it is breathtaking, as it faces east. Done in 1918, the 25th anniversary of the Fair.
It is located in the Hayes-Richards Circle in Jackson Park, and believe me, if you have never seen this, you are missing one of the premier sights in our fair city. It is huge in itself; the original was 6 1/2 stories high. I have already decided that if there were ever invented a time machine, someone should come and get me, and The World's Fair is the first place I would visit.
It is called "The Republic", but some friends have nicknamed it "bert" because in the statue's left hand, at the top, is a small plaque that reads "Liberty". Except that the "Li" and "y" are so covered with laurel leaves, that all you can read is "bert".
It stands on the very site of the fair's administration building, which was at the west end of some huge body of water surrounded on north and south by buildings of the fair, and at the east end of all this water, was the original statue. It is so hard to imagine this from the streets that wind around there today. Even when you have the original pictures in front of you.
All the pictures taken were close to sunset. Please, please, if you have never seen this, go.
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