Peter
Pan Sculpture at Johnson Park
Camden, New Jersey
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Ongoing Rehabilitation of Johnson
Park in Camden, NJ
(Photos: Daniel Coelho Deppen, 2006)
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Sir George Frampton's sculpture of “Peter
Pan” which graces at the entrance of Johnson
Park in Camden, NJ is one of only five in the world. The
other four statues are located in Kensington Gardens,
London; in Sefton Park, Liverpool, England; in the Gardens
of the Egmont Palace, Brussels; and in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Eldridge Johnson presented
the statue of Peter Pan, cast in bronze and surrounded
by fairies, bunnies,
and other small delightful critters, as
a gift to the children of Camden. The statue was dedicated
at a magnificent Peter
Pan Pageant on September 24, 1926,
where over 3,000 schoolchildren from Camden, Merchantville,
and other nearby towns depicted scenes from the J. M. Barrie's
story of Peter Pan .
>>> more
pictures of the fabulous Peter
Pan statue in Camden, NJ
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Peter
Pan Statue in Johnson Park
(Cal Maradonna, 1980s) |
The sculptured
bronze "Lily Pond Railing"
by J. Otto Schweitzer, installed in 1930, is one -of-a-kind
work depicting a marshland habit of reeds, graceful herons
and arching fish. Large sections are missing, but the Friends
of Johnson Park plan to repair and replace the existing
portions.
Other bronze pieces in the
Park are by Philadelphia
sculptor Albert
Laessle. According to John Giannotti, professor emeritus
of fine arts, and member of the Friends of Johnson
Park, some of Laessle's works were commissioned especially
for Johnson Park, while others, including "Billy," a
playful goat, were cast from the original mold. “Billy”, “Dancing
Goat”, “Pan”, and “Turtle and Duck” are
among the whimsical additions to the park by Laessle.
Dr.
Roberta K. Tarbell, Associate Professor of Art
History at Rutgers-Camden, mentioned that the Pennsylvania
Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia has five bronze
sculptures by Albert Laessle. These sculptures are
listed in the Academy's catalogue, American
Sculpture in the Museum of American Art of the Pennsylvania
Academy of the Fine Arts (1997).
Professor Tarbell also added that another cast
of Laessle's goat, usually surrounded by happy, playful
children, can be admired at Rittenhouse Park in Philadelphia,
PA.
Links to the other websites
on Peter Pan Statues
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