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THOMAS CRAWFORD
(1813 - 1857) American sculptor; studied in Rome under Thorwaldsen; renowned for his work on the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, especially the bronze doors and the bronze figure of Liberty which surmounts the dome A.L.S. "Thos. Crawford" 1p. 8vo., [n.p.], Jan. 31, 1845, to his friend Rev. Charles Brooks in Boston. At this time, there was great speculation about who would be selected to design and build the monument to George Washington on the grounds of the Capitol in Richmond, which the Virginia legislature was considering. Crawford had petitioned the legislature to allow him to build the monument, but in the interim, the legislature turned the selection process into a competition with a prize of $500 to be awarded to the winner. With this in mind, Crawford writes: "...Many thanks for your attention my dear Mr. Brooks in sending me the letter from Washington. I have not had an opportunity of getting into Town with it, and now I must send instead of handing it to you, but I am not the less grateful I assure you for the interest you have taken in the Equestrian affair. Something may come of it yet and what has been done, well seems to pave the way for further advancements - I must endeavor to make some impression upon the association and it may be induced to accept the plan I shall offer. Intend getting into Boston on Monday morning and shall then call…". In very good condition. Of the forty-one designs from architects that were submitted, including designs from such significant figures in American architecture as A.J. Davis, Robert Mills, James Renwick, and Edward B. White, Crawford was finally chosen. He worked on the statue for seven years and had it cast in Munich, Germany. Today, his neoclassical memorial stands 60 feet tall and is one of Richmond's most notable monuments to one of the nation's greatest heroes. Tragically, Crawford did not live to see its completion, nor the installation of all his U.S. Capitol work. At the height of his productivity he died of a brain tumor. He was only 44 years old.