FS: Walter Johnson Statue Modeled After Famous 1924 Dunbar
 

Sorry for long write up below - - bottom line great piece crafted from the original 1924 art of Walter Johnson by Ulric Dunbar. Price $249 delivered. The photo of approx. 50 plaster casts sitting in the studio back in 1924 show their original production although few survived the last 100 years.

100 years ago, two masters of their respective crafts combined to create one of the most physically arresting relics ever produced during the glory days of baseball. The subject requires no introduction, the twentieth century's most prolific winner, captured during his sole World Championship season. The sculptor, Ulric Dunbar, was the most respected artisan of his craft in our nation's capital, famous for his "death masks" of Washington, DC elite and the bust of Vice President Martin Van Buren on display in the Senate Chamber gallery. Today he is best remembered for his spectacular sculpture of pitching legend Walter Johnson. The original creation was heralded in a September 8, 1924, article in the Washington Post where it was reported: "at the conclusion of the baseball season, Johnson will pose for a statue to be made by Ulric S. J. Dunbar, one of Washington's most noted sculptors." An on-field photo shows Johnson posing for Dunbar.

After the World Championship was over Johnson arrived at Dunbar’s Washington studio to give his final blessing to the final clay statue. His approval was marked by meticulously carving his signature onto the base along with Dunbar.

The resulting 18.5” creation provided a striking likeness of the Big Train in the deceptively casual wind-up that preceded the most fearsome fastball of the pre-war era. A limited production of these statues were cast in plaster as supported by an image showing raw examples lined up like soldiers at the studio before the final patina was applied.

While there is a published photo of Dunbar presenting a Walter Johnson statue to sitting President Calvin Coolidge, that piece does not appear within the Calvin Coolidge Museum. The only other known examples include one housed at Cooperstown in the Baseball Hall of Fame and a few that have made their way to public auction.

While the vintage example that Heritage Auctions sold a decade ago went for over $8,365, when we owned that example, we had a mold crafted off the original. From this mold custom castings are produced in reinforced plaster.

Plaster Edition Limited to 500
This 18.5” 8 lb. plaster edition was produced by a plaster artisan that travels across the country applying his craft. He provides us with the plaster casting, after which a patina is hand applied resulting in an exacting reproduction of Dunbar’s original work. This is the exact size of the work produced by Dunbar in 1924. The hand numbered piece is priced at $299 delivered. (Note: while the edition is limited to 500 pieces, 10 at a time are produced in response to demand.)