Tyler Davidson Fountain
Tyler Davidson Fountain is called a fountain in Cincinnati, which is one of the landmarks of this city. He is often called after its founder also Probasco Fountain.
Foundation
After Henry Probasco, a wealthy resident of the city, had long annoyed enough about drunks in the city, he once had one of these men approached and asked why he did not calm his thirst with water. The answer should have been: " Well, what else am I to quench my thirst, here we find no water, only schnapps and beer! " Then Probasco decided during the lifetime of his brother and business partner Tyler Davidson and in agreement with this, Cincinnati to give a drinking fountain. Davidson died in 1865 and Probasco made the decision to put him with the planned wells a monument.
Planning
In the United States in the mid-19th century, the art of bronze casting was not at a level that would have allowed the production of a monumental fountain. On one of his extended trips to Europe, 1866/67, Henry Probasco therefore visited the royal bronze foundry under Ferdinand von Miller in Munich. Here are the figures for the Washington Monument in Richmond ( Virginia) by Thomas Crawford had already been cast as the 1865 Sentinel of Randolph Rogers, who adorned the Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.
Probascos wishes came in the bronze foundry willing to listen: He thought of a fountain figure, which should symbolize the blessing of the water, but put no value on the usual representation in the form of Neptune or Nereidenfiguren.
Ferdinand von Miller and August of Kreling had already worked in the 1840s on designs for such wells. Been inspired they were to do so by a Marie representation in France. Maria held here their outstretched arms up and out of her palms went light rays. These light rays should be replaced by jets at the planned fountain figure. The sketch to such a fountain was not initially implemented in reality. When in 1854 the first industrial exhibition was planned in Germany, also a water fountain should be shown in a glass house, and Ferdinand von Miller was about to realize old from Kreling plans now. But at an early stage of his work, he met with vehement rejection on the part of King Ludwig of Bavaria. This could be even later, when Miller letter again asked him for his opinion, not swayed.
Only Probascos suggestion meant that the old plans were brought out again. The central fountain figure with hands raised was supplemented by four other figures invented by the younger Ferdinand von Miller. These figures, the actual drinking water dispenser at the well should, boys who rode on animals represent. From Fritz von Miller the seated figures were modeled on the corners, the rest of the fountain you took over from Kreling plans.
Before finally a contract between Miller and Probasco was closed, this was a bronze model of the proposed fountain in the summer of 1867. This model was for a long time on Probascos estate and is now in the Cincinnati Museum of Art Another model that was made of plaster, must be considered lost. A photograph of it is now in the Museum of Cultural History of Osnabrück; the outer wells figures remind of this model more like gnomes and elves.
Execution, transportation and construction
For the cast of the figures obtained from melted cannons Danish metal was used. Not only the characters, but also the granite stones that were required for well construction were shipped from Germany to America, which was welcomed by the inhabitants with incomprehension. Ferdinand von Miller the Younger and a worker accompanied the transport boxes that were shipped on the steamer Westphalia to America. On September 6, 1871, the ship arrived in New York, but was initially covered with quarantine because during the crossing five passengers had died of cholera.
From Miller's stay in America turned out to be stressful, according to his diaries, as it was celebrated without interruption from the enthusiastic public. When he, after inspection of Washington, D.C. and Richmond (Virginia), in Cincinnati arrived to witness the construction and inauguration of the well, he found that the prepared hoist was too weak and the local workers were initially unwilling to provide adequate facilities. Only an impressive experiment with the heaviest crate led them to change their minds.
The next problem was the lack of pressure from the originally foreseen for the supply of the well water pipe. You had to decide to use the water of a higher reservoir to get enough pressure. Water had 40 foot climb and then distributed according to the plans. However, the now selected reservoir had no line that would have led to the location of the well. Immediately let the leaders dig up regardless of the cost of the Vine Street and adjust the tram traffic in order to create a new line.
As Miller of the valve of the upper fountain sculpture opened to check the water pressure again, promptly broke a copper pipe connection: Now the pressure was too high and some of the water had to be diverted.
Once this problem was solved, found himself confronted by Miller with plans for the fountain opened, he had to keep impracticable. As long as you had worked on the fountain, he had been hidden from the public eye by a wooden wall, but at the opening, it should be covered with fabric. Along with the fabric shell should be drawn up two huge American flags, when the fountain was unveiled. Since the weight of the fabric was too high, suggested by Miller, not pull him up, but to allow for dramatic effect sake go up in flames. This met with vehement rejection, since the burning of the American flag was unthinkable for the locals. So the flags were ever withdrawn from the program and only sewn the huge cloth bag for the fountain. Since no more scaffolding was available when the well should be covered with it, the drape of the fabric designed extremely difficult over the figures and the pelvis. On the morning of inauguration day, rows of seats were built for the preferred audience also in a hurry, then partly collapsed among the visitors and led to several injuries.
But despite all these problems, the well was planned unveiled on October 6, 1871 before the eyes of about 20 000 spectators.
In a description of the town from 1901, the effects of well construction are recognized on urban development: " The greatest artistic jewelery Cincinnati 's is undoubtedly the Tyler -Davidson Fountain on the Esplanade of the Fifth street, between Vine and Walnut Street, a gift of Mr. Henry Probasco. This fountain has the lower Cincinnati due to one of his most impressive parts of the city. Previously, the place where now stands the fountain, has been used for market purposes. Loin, low shacks surrounded the market. But when the Esplanade was then built, gradually disappeared these huts [ ... ] "
Fountain figures
The 13 -meter-high fountain is adorned with a total of 13 figures and four bas-reliefs that symbolize all the value of water for mankind. The central fountain sculpture, spray from their palms, the fountains, is the genius of the water dar. Below this figure, there are four male figures who embody the benefits of water for all life. The boy figures further out, however, are the joys that can donate the water symbolize. At the foot of the fountain of the benefits of water for the industry is shown.
The central figure, which weighs more than nine tons, and in each palm 438 holes from which sprays the water. It falls first in the upper basin and then into the enclosed by granite basin, at its edges in addition to the original plan required four of Probasco figures stand with gargoyles, where the population could use with drinking water. All figures together weigh more than 24 tons. There are also around 85 tons of granite. Per minute flow about 500 gallons ( 1900 liters) of water through the fountain. The fountain was shot several times in the course of its history and treated, most recently in 2006.
Displacement and damage
1970, the fountain was moved to another location. Here it was found first damage to the bronze parts, which they tried to counter by withholding a inner support structure of steel and concrete. Corrosion of the steel and damage to the cement, which were caused by exposure to cold, but the bronze figures was further damaged. In the years 1999 and 2000 was therefore a restoration.
Others
The fountain, which is surrounded by a basin with a diameter of 43 feet ( 13.11 meters), is shown on the logo of the Munich Sister City Association of Greater Cincinnati. He is parked in the winter and is in each case taken in April for the first home game of the Cincinnati Reds again. It is considered the oldest monument in the city of Cincinnati and as the most visited Fountain of the United States.