Henry Bradley Plant

Olin Levi Warner

1874 · Bronze · The American Wing

After studying in Paris, Warner returned to New York in 1872, and had difficulty earning a living as a sculptor. He decided to reapply for his old job as a telephone operator at the Southern Express Company in Augusta, Georgia. Upon hearing the artist's reasons for wanting employment, Henry Bradley Plant (1819-1899), the president of the company, commissioned Warner to execute this bust. The lively treatment of the face and hair, as well as the textured surface of the clothing reflect the sculptor's Beaux-Arts training.

Artist

Olin Levi Warner

Date

1874

Medium

Bronze

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of the Henry Bradley Plant family, 1982