Evelyn Taylor Price Memorial
Philadelphia
native Beatrice Fenton built the Evelyn Taylor Price Memorial Sundial in 1947.
The statue is made of bronze, and measures 59 inches on top of a 36-inch
granite base. It is located near the southwest corner of 18th and
Walnut, in Rittenhouse Square.
The sundial was made to
memorialize a woman who served as the president of
the Rittenhouse Square
Improvement Association
from 1916- 1936 as well as
president for the Rittenhouse
Square Flower Association
from 1934 – 1946. Her friends
erected it once she passed away.
The piece depicts two nude,
happy children raising a sundial in the face of a sunflower. The illustration
of naked people, especially children, has been historically controversial. Even
Michelangelo’s “David,” arguably the most famous statue ever, was met with
distain. When it was first unveiled in Florence in 1504, the citizens greeted
the piece with thrown stones. The sundial, however, did not experience any
protest of major note.
The piece has served the community
as the welcoming face to Rittenhouse Square. It is a statue that is beloved by
children and adults that frequent the park. It has also been used practically.
In October of 1975 the city of Philadelphia had the park remodeled. This
affected primarily the middle section of the Square, and included taking out
trees, planting new ones, and laying brick. While the workers fixed the park,
the statue held their coats and hats. (Picture to the left.)
The text reads:
'Ritten Hangups:'
The statues in Rittenhouse Square lent a hand to workmen installing a new brick walkway, part of a $269,00o facelifting for the historic public square, one of the first city parks in the country and designed by William Penn in 1681. The refurbishment included the removal of locust
and catalpa trees, some of them dying, and
the planting of 16 willow oaks in there place.
The improvements affect only the middle portion
of the square.
Memorials and art like this can and have been used
in films in multitudes of ways. These pieces can evoke memories, show location,
and be used symbolically or metaphorically. A memorial could simply used to set
location, like in the case of movies like National Treasure, which use shots of
the Washington Memorial or the Lincoln Memorial repeatedly to show that the
characters are Washington D.C. Other landmarks act as the same. For instance
the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Space Needle in Seattle, or the
Empire State Building in New York as function in a similar fashion.
Art can also be used
symbolically in films. The Statue of Liberty is used in many movies as a
national sign for freedom and liberty in the United States. It can also be
considered patriotic. This rule doesn’t just apply to landmarks. Architecture
like fountains can also represent ideas. Fountains often can be read as
medicinal or life-giving, as well as a sense of rebirth.
I chose to talk about this
piece because it seemed like a monument I could use in a film easily and
effectively. For example, one could imagine this as a place where two people
met when they were young children. The two grew up together, becoming close
friends. Some years later one of them get in a car accident. If the person were
to die, this spot would become sentimental, not only to the character, but now
to the audience as well. The spot also becomes more than just a meeting place. Because of the children depicted in the statue, the spot now begins to
symbolize youth, specifically the character’s youth. The sundial now symbolizes
time, or perhaps time running out. The inscription in the face of the
sunflower, which reads ‘The Hour Passes/ Friendship Abides’ also makes the
statue now a personal testament to the two friends relationship.
Filmmaking
has a way of transforming art to mean something else than intended, and that’s
one of the most beautiful things about film. Memorials and public art used symbolically
and/or metaphorically can help to strengthen and deepen a film.
