Medium & size: Bronze, over lifesize, with slate tablet
Location: Central Park, East Drive at 66th St. The statue is on the pedestrian walk that goes below the East Drive. From the west, go to the south end of the Mall, find the statue of Shakespeare, and walk across the East Drive; then take the stairs down to the path below, and you’ll see the statue just east of the tunnel below the East Drive. From the east, enter the Park between 66th and 67th Streets, and bear left at the first intersection to the tunnel under the East Drive.
Nome, Alaska, exists because “Three Lucky Swedes” found gold nearby in 1898. When the gold rush ended a decade later, Nome’s population quickly dropped from 20,000 to 2,000.
But in the winter of 1925, those 2,000 were in peril. Several people had died from diphtheria – a disease that’s nearly forgotten today. Diphtheria makes the throat swell shut. Left untreated, it causes death by slow suffocation in up to 50% of its victims. And it spreads in close quarters and crowded conditions … such as Nome in winter. In New York City in the late 1800s, diphtheria killed thousands every year.
An antitoxin had been developed that usually cured those who contracted diphtheria. But in January 1925, Nome had only antitoxin that was past its due date. A new supply of the drug couldn’t be brought in by steamship, because Nome’s harbor was icebound. Flying an open-cockpit plane in gale-force winds was not a viable option. During the winter, Nome’s only reliable contact with the outside world was via a dogsled trip over the mountains that usually took three weeks.
So in 1925, a supply of the antitoxin was shipped by rail from Anchorage to Nenana. From Nenana to Nome – another 650 miles – twenty mushers and over a hundred dogs were arranged in relays. They carried the antitoxin through blizzard conditions and temperatures that dropped to 50 degrees below zero.
The 1925 route to Nome is the route that’s furthest north, a green dashed-and-dotted line. Image: Wikipedia
The journey that usually took three weeks was accomplished in five and a half days. The last 53 miles were run by Gunnar Kaason. Kaason gave credit for his success to his lead dog, Balto.
Kaasen and Balto. Image: Wikipedia
Balto and Kaasen. From Gold Rush Dogs site.
That year, only 5 deaths from diphtheria were recorded in Nome.
The story of the run to Nome – dubbed “The Race of Mercy” or the “Serum Run” – was a nationwide sensation in newspapers and in the new medium of radio. Almost immediately, a group of New Yorkers began to raise funds for a sculpture of Balto to be placed in Central Park. It was dedicated 10 months later, with Kaason and Balto in attendance.
Balto and Kaasen at the Balto scupture in Central Park. Image: Tumblr
The plaque below the sculpture shows a dogsled team in low relief, with the inscription, “Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed anti-toxin six hundred miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters, through arctic blizzards from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the winter of 1925. Endurance fidelity intelligence.”
Slate plaque at the Balto sculpture in Central Park.
The Iditarod
The first Iditarod Race was run in 1973. Inspired by the “Race of Mercy,” it covers 1,150 miles from Anchorage to Nome, and usually takes from nine to fifteen days to complete.
The course of the Iditarod is the heavy black line. Image: Wikipedia Roth, Balto,1925
More
Frederick George Richard Roth (1872-1944), born in Brooklyn, studied in Vienna and Berlin in the 1890s before establishing a studio in New York. He won the Speyer Prize from the National Academy of Design for Balto. From 1934 to 1936, under the Works Progress Administration, he was chief sculptor for the New York City Department of Parks. For the Central Park Zoo, which opened in 1934, Roth oversaw the sculptors of the friezes that adorn several buildings. In 1935 Roth’s team worked on the Prospect Park Zoo. By Roth’s own hand are the following sculptures in Central Park: Honey Bear and Dancing Goat; Sophie Loeb Fountain; and Mother Goose.
For more on Central Park, see here or click “Central Park” in the Obsessions cloud at right.
In Getting More Enjoyment from Sculpture You Love, I demonstrate a method for looking at sculptures in detail, in depth, and on your own. Learn to enjoy your favorite sculptures more, and find new favorites. Available on Amazon in print and Kindle formats. More here.
Want wonderful art delivered weekly to your inbox? Check out my free Sunday Recommendations list and rewards for recurring support: details here.
{"id":null,"mode":"text_link","open_style":"in_modal","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/diannedurantewriter.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/diannedurantewriter.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":200,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"https:\/\/diannedurantewriter.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/straushome2.jpg","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Tip directly on my website, one-time or recurring","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"Dianne L. Durante, Writing Addict + Adept","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"Dianne L. Durante","form_subtitle":"Say \"Well done, Dianne!\"","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thanks for your support!","payment_confirmation_title":"Dianne L. Durante, Writing Addict + Adept","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}