Carl H. Conrads (February 26, 1839 in Breisig, Germany – May 24, 1920 in Hartford, Connecticut)Connecticut, Deaths and Burials Index, 1650-1934. was an American sculptor best known for his work on Civil War monuments and his two works in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. He was also known as Charles Conrads.
Biography He was born in Sinzig-on-the-Rhine, the son of Heinrich Joseph Conrads and Johanna Maria Catherina Fleischer. His father was mayor of their town until removed from office by the Prussians in 1850. In 1853 his parents and brother Robert emigrated to Texas, where they became farmers and furnituremakers.Lonn Taylor & David B. Warren, Texas Furniture: The Cabinetmakers and Their Work, 1840-1880, Volume 2 (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2012), p. 265. Carl remained in Munich and received a diploma from the Koeniglich Bayerische Akademie der Bildenden Kunste. He emigrated to New York in 1860,Opitz, Glenn B., Mantle Fielding's Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers, Apollo Books, Poughkeepsie, NY, 1988 and served as an artilleryman in the 20th New York Volunteers during the American Civil War."The Sculptor Carl Conrad" (sic), The New York Times, January 21, 1890. He moved to Hartford, Connecticut in 1866 to work for James G. Batterson at the New England Granite Works, where he worked until 1903.
A reference from 1879:
Another German artist, Carl Conrads, has been for twelve years connected with the Hartford Granite Company [sic]. He is perhaps over-modest regarding his work as a sculptor, which is surely very good of its kind. Among his best designs are the figures on the Antietam Monument. In 1871 he returned to Munich for a short visit, availing himself of the opportunity for still further study. As a designer of monuments, his work stands high.Harry Willard French, Art and Artists in Connecticut (Boston: Lee and Shepard, Publishers, 1879), pp. 162-63.
Sculptor and sculpture historian Lorado Taft said of him: "a German of good training, has identified himself with sculpture in granite, and has done much creditable work well adapted to the requirements of that ungrateful material."Taft, Lorado, The History of American Sculpture, The Macmillan Company, New York,1925 p. 502
Noteworthy among his granite works are his colossal American Volunteer statue at Antietam National Cemetery in Sharpsburg, Maryland; his seated figure of Morality on the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts – "said to be the largest solid granite monument in the world;" and his Alexander Hamilton statue in Central Park, New York City.Lederer, Joseph, photographs by Arley Bondarin, All Around Town: A Walking Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in New York City, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1975 p. 148
Conrads is buried in West Hartford, Connecticut; his grave is marked with a simple stone.
Selected works
Oswin Welles Memorial, bronze figure, Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford, Connecticut, 1873.Cedar Hill Cemetery Foundation from Connecticut Department of Culture and Tourism. Bust of Laurent Clerc, American School for the Deaf, West Hartford, Connecticut, 1874.Laurent Clerc from Waymarking.com The pedestal features a frieze of Clerc's name spelled in sign language. Moorhead Column, Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1877.Moorhead Column from Allegheny Cemetery. Alexander Hamilton, Central Park, New York City, 1880.Alexander Hamilton from Central Park Conservancy. Conrads's plaster model for this is at the Museum of American Finance in New York City.Plaster Hamilton statue. Joel Thayer Monument, granite, Lake View Cemetery, Skaneateles, New York, 1882–83, George Keller, architect.Thayer Monument Colonel Sylvanus Thayer Monument ("Father of the Military Academy"), U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, 1883. Relief bust of Noah Webster, Connecticut State Capitol, Hartford, Connecticut, 1885. Relief bust of Reverend Horace Bushnell, Connecticut State Capitol, Hartford, Connecticut, circa 1885. General Henry W. Halleck, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, 1886.General Halleck from Art and Architecture - San Francisco. National Monument to the Forefathers, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1889. With sculptors William Rimmer, John D. Perry (attributed), Alexander Doyle and James H. Mahoney; and architects Hammatt Billings and Joseph Edward Billings. Morality (seated figure), granite.Morality from Flickr. Embarkation at Delft Haven (bas-relief plaque), marble.Embarkation from Flickr. General John Stark, bronze, New Hampshire Statehouse, Concord, New Hampshire, 1890, John A. Fox, architect.General John Stark from New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. John B. Ford, bronze, Third Street Park, Ford City, Pennsylvania, 1891.John B. Ford from SIRIS."C. Conrads" is listed as the sculptor in The National Cyclopedia of American Biography (1906), vol. XIII, p. 505. John Stark from New Hampshire, marble, National Statuary Hall Collection, United States Capitol, Washington D.C., 1894. Currently residing in the United States Capitol crypt. Daniel Webster from New Hampshire (after Thomas Ball), marble, National Statuary Hall Collection, United States Capitol, Washington D.C., 1894."Carl Conrad's [sic] clay model of his Daniel Webster has been sent to Carrara, Italy, to be reproduced in marble for the Capitol at Washington." --"Current News of the Fine Arts," The New York Times, September 30, 1894.Murdock, Myrtle Cheney, National Statuary Hall in the Nation's Capitol, Monumental Press, Washington D.C., 1955 p. 54-55 Samuel J. Tilden Monument, Cemetery of the Evergreens, New Lebanon, New York, 1895, Ernest Flagg, architect.Samuel J. Tilden Monument from SIRIS."The Archangel Gabriel," The New York Times, February 16, 1896. The Archangel Gabriel, marble, George H. Thacher Monument, St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands, New York, 1896. from Troy Record. Minute Man, granite, Union Square, Elizabeth, New Jersey, 1905.Minute Man from Flickr. Relief bust of Henry Keney, Keney Park Entrance Gates, Hartford, Connecticut, circa 1905.Keney Park Entrance Gates from SIRIS.
Civil War monuments Title Image Year Location/GPS Coordinates Material Dimensions Notes Soldiers' MonumentGranby Soldiers' Monument from Connecticut Historical Society. 1868 Granby Green,3 East Granby Road,Granby, Connecticut Brownstone Statue:Monument:approx. 21 ft (6.4 m) George Keller, architectPart of Granby Center Historic District. Forlorn Soldier StatueThe Old Brownstone Soldier from ConnecticutHistory.org, a CThumanities program. 1866-1869 Connecticut State Capitol,Hartford Brownstone from quarry in Portland, CT Statue:Monument: Contractor: Batterson's Monumental WorksSculptor: Charles Conrads Knight Hospital MonumentKnight Hospital Monument from Connecticut Historical Society. 1870 Evergreen Cemetery,92 Winthrop Avenue,New Haven, Connecticut Granite Statue:Monument:approx. 26 ft (7.92 m) Dedicated to the 204 Union soldiers who died while in the hospital's care. Soldiers' MonumentPortland Soldiers' Monument from Connecticut Historical Society. 1872 Main & Bartlett Streets,Portland, Connecticut Brownstone Statue:Monument:33 ft (10.06 m) Soldiers' Monument Meridan Soldiers' Monument from Babcock-Smith House Museum. 1873 Meriden City Hall,East Main & Catlin Streets,Meriden, Connecticut Granite Statue:7 ft (2.13 m)Monument:approx. 45 ft (13.72 m) The Soldiers' MonumentNorwich Soldiers' Monument from Connecticut Historical Society. 1875 Chelsea Parade Green,Washington & Williams Streets,Norwich, Connecticut Granite Statue:12 ft (3.66 m)Monument:27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) Octagonal pedestal. The American Volunteer (statue),U.S. Soldier MonumentU.S. Soldier Monument from National Park Service.Soderberg, Susan Cooke, Lest We Forget: A Guide to Civil War Monuments in Maryland, White Mane Publishing Co., Inc., Shippensburg PA, 1995 pp. 93-94 1876Dedicated 1880 Antietam National Cemetery,Sharpsburg, Maryland Granite Statue:21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)Monument:44 ft 7 in (13.59 m) Conrads, sculptor; James W. Pollette, carver; George Keller, architect.The American Volunteer was exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Soldiers MonumentCortland Soldiers Monument from Civil War Monuments in New York State. 1876 Courthouse Park,Cortland County Courthouse,Cortland, New York Bronze statueGranite pedestal "Centennial Offering of Cortland County in Memory of Those Who Foughtin Defence of the Union 1861. 1865. - A. D. 1876."Signed: C. Conrads. Soldiers' MonumentManchester Soldiers' Monument from Connecticut Historical Society. 1876Dedicated 1877 Center Park,Main & Center Streets,Manchester, Connecticut Bronze statueGranite pedestal Statue:Monument:approx. 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) Signed C. Conrads 1876Geo.Fischer & Bro. Bronze Foundry. N.Y.At base of granite monument: "In memory of the soldiers of Manchester who died in the War of the Rebellion 1861 - 1865" Wolcottville Soldier's MonumentWolcottville Soldiers' Monument from Connecticut Historical Society. 1879 Coe Memorial Park,South Main & Litchfield Streets,Torrington, Connecticut Tan granite Statue:Monument:16 ft (4.88 m) The statue is one-third-size copy of The American Volunteer.Cylindrical pedestal (unusual). : Made by the New England Granite Works Soldiers' MonumentSouthington Soldiers' Monument from Connecticut Historical Society. 1880 Town Green,Main & Academy Streets,Southington, Connecticut "White" graniteBlue granite columns Statue:Monument:20 ft (6.1 m) Soldiers' MonumentMystic in Stonington Soldiers' Monument from Connecticut Historical Society. 1883 East Main Street & Broadway AvenueMystic in Stonington, Connecticut Tan granite Statue:Monument:approx. 19 ft (5.8 m) Part of Mystic Bridge Historic District.Mystic Bridge Historic District Soldiers and Sailors MonumentBath Soldiers and Sailors Monument from Civil War Monuments in New York State.Bath Soldiers and Sailors Monument from SIRIS. 1883 Geneva & Haverling Streets,Bath, New York Bronze statue Originally a fountain statue atNew York State Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, Bath."Manchester" model. Soldiers' and Sailors' MonumentTauton Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument from Babcock-Smith Museum. 1902 Taunton Green,Taunton, Massachusetts Granite Statue:8 ft (2.44 m)Monument:22 ft (6.71 m) Soldiers' Monument (attributed work)Putnam Soldiers' Monument from Connecticut Historical Society. 1912 93 Grove Street,Putnam, Connecticut Bronze statueGranite pedestal Statue:Monument:approx. 19 ft (5.79 m) Civil War Monument (attributed work) from Babcock-Smith House Museum. 1915-16 Monument & Smith Streetsopposite Fort Griswold State Park,Groton, Connecticut Granite Statue:Monument:approx. 22 ft (6.71 m) Donated by Robert A. Gray.
References Obituary: Hartford Daily Courant, May 25, 1920.
External links
Carl H. Conrads from SIRIS.