Griffith Park: Astronomers Monument – Los Angeles CA

City:
Los Angeles, CA

Site Type:
Sculpture and Bas Relief, Parks and Recreation, Art Works

New Deal Agencies:
Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), Arts Programs

Completed:
1934

Artists:
Arnold Forester, Djey el Djey, George Stanley, Gordon Newell, L. Archibald Garner, Roger Noble Burnham

Designer:
L. Archibald Garner

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Marked:
Yes

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

The Astronomers Monument at Griffith Observatory is one of L. Archibald Garner’s well-known public works. It was completed in 1934 with Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) support.

The Monument pays homage to six great astronomers: Hipparchus, Nicolas Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton, and William Herschel. Although the Monument was Garner’s design, he worked with five other sculptors to sculpt and cast it. Each artist was responsible for one astronomer. (One of the artists, George Stanley, was also the creator of the famous “Oscar” statuette.)

“On November 25, 1934 (about six months prior to the opening of the Observatory), a celebration took place to mark completion of the Astronomers Monument, which had proven to be the most ambitious creation of the PWAP,” says Griffith Observatory’s webpage dedicated to the Monument. “The only ‘signature’ on the Astronomers Monument is ‘PWAP 1934’ referring to the federal agency which funded the project and the year it was completed.”

Source notes

Public Art in Los Angeles

Griffith Observatory

Site originally submitted by Terry (Garner) Stafford on May 19, 2010.
Additional contributions by Andrew Laverdiere & Mark Pine.

Location Info


2800 E Observatory Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Los Angeles County

Coordinates: 34.1189, -118.3004

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5 comments on “Griffith Park: Astronomers Monument – Los Angeles CA

  1. Einar Einarsson Kvaran

    Who did what here?
    What sculptor created which astronomer?

  2. Hipparchus (about 125 B.C.) – Archibald Garner
    Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) – Djey el Djey
    Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) – Gordon Newell
    Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) – Arnold Foerster
    Isaac Newton (1642-1727) – George Stanley (also created the Oscar)
    John Herschel (1738-1822) – Roger Noble Burnham

  3. Jeff Garner

    Mr. Marlowe is not entirely correct on the artists and their astronomers:
    Garner sculpted Copernicus, Newell sculpted Kepler. He is correct about Burnham / Herschel, and Stanley / Newton. The other two combinations I cannot confirm, having never found, in my research on the monument, any documents to identify with any certainty who did which of these two. I suspect, based on style, that Djey did Hipparchus, but I don’t know this.
    Also, it’s the Astronomers Monument, not Astronomer’s…

  4. Eric Rachut

    The Herschel commemorated is not John, but William (originally Wilhelm). John Herschel was William’s son and also an astronomer, particularly of objects visible from the southern hemisphere.

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5 comments on “Griffith Park: Astronomers Monument – Los Angeles CA

  1. Einar Einarsson Kvaran

    Who did what here?
    What sculptor created which astronomer?

  2. Hipparchus (about 125 B.C.) – Archibald Garner
    Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) – Djey el Djey
    Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) – Gordon Newell
    Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) – Arnold Foerster
    Isaac Newton (1642-1727) – George Stanley (also created the Oscar)
    John Herschel (1738-1822) – Roger Noble Burnham

  3. Jeff Garner

    Mr. Marlowe is not entirely correct on the artists and their astronomers:
    Garner sculpted Copernicus, Newell sculpted Kepler. He is correct about Burnham / Herschel, and Stanley / Newton. The other two combinations I cannot confirm, having never found, in my research on the monument, any documents to identify with any certainty who did which of these two. I suspect, based on style, that Djey did Hipparchus, but I don’t know this.
    Also, it’s the Astronomers Monument, not Astronomer’s…

  4. Eric Rachut

    The Herschel commemorated is not John, but William (originally Wilhelm). John Herschel was William’s son and also an astronomer, particularly of objects visible from the southern hemisphere.

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

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