Lot Flannery

Lot Flannery (1836–December 19, 1922) was an Irish-American sculptor from Washington, D.C., best known for his work on the Abraham Lincoln statue, the nation's oldest extant memorial to the assassinated president.[1]

Lot Flannery
Obituary photo in The Evening Star
Born1836
Limerick, Ireland
DiedDecember 19, 1922
Washington, D.C.
NationalityIrish-American
OccupationSculptor
Known forSculptor of Abraham Lincoln

Biography

Flannery was born in Limerick, Ireland, but moved to the United States as a child. He displayed a talent for art and began studying the field in Washington, D.C. He focused his work on sculpture and traveled to Europe to further his studies.[2] Flannery also spent time living in New Orleans, St. Louis, and New York City, but spent most of his life in Washington.[3] He owned one of the largest stone carving businesses in Washington and specialized in carving tombstones.[1]

Flannery knew President Abraham Lincoln and was at Ford's Theatre the night of the assassination.[3] Shortly after Lincoln's death, Washingtonians chose to erect a memorial honoring the slain president. Many designs were submitted to the monument planning committee, but Flannery's model was unanimously chosen. The committee called his design the "most spirited" and "an excellent likeness."[1] The memorial was dedicated on April 15, 1868, the third anniversary of Lincoln's death. Flannery's statue is the only statue of Lincoln created by someone who knew him.[3]

In addition to the Lincoln sculpture, Flannery's notable works include the Arsenal Monument at Congressional Cemetery and a sculpture of President Chester Arthur on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.[4][5] Flannery sculpted a marble bust of General John A. Logan that was previously exhibited in the Capitol. A copy of that bust made by artist Franklin Simmons was used in producing the equestrian sculpture Major General John A. Logan.[3] Flannery never married and lived alone until his death at his residence on December 19, 1922.[2][3]

References
  1. Jacob, Kathryn Allamong (1998). Testament to Union: Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C. Charlottesville: JHU Press. pp. 68–71. ISBN 9780801858611. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  2. "Lot Flannery". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  3. "Lot Flannery, 86, Sculptor, is Dead". The Evening Star. December 19, 1922. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  4. "Congressional Cemetery Government Lots". United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  5. "Chester Arthur, (sculpture)". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
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