Realizing Vulcan’s importance to the region’s history, city leaders sought public support for its restoration, forming the non-profit Vulcan Park Foundation. Excellent preowned condition. Made of 100,000 pounds of iron, he stands 56 feet tall and watches from atop Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham, Alabama. Standing 56-foot (17 m) tall and weighing 50-ton Vulcan is the worlds largest cast iron statue. Vulcan has become the unmistakable symbol of Birmingham, a familiar figure always standing tall against the skyline. Vulcan made quite the splash at the World’s Fair winning grand prize at the palace of minds and metallurgy. The creation of Vulcan, which stands 56 feet tall from toe to spear point, would mean creating the largest cast iron statue in the world and the largest metal statue ever made in the United States. Library of Congress American Folklife Center, In Roman mythology, Vulcan was the god of fire and blacksmithing and the counterpart of the Greek god Hephaestus. - See 1,353 traveler reviews, 709 candid photos, and great deals for Birmingham, AL, at Tripadvisor. In the 1930s, the Kiwanis Club was instrumental in getting the statue of Vulcan located to its current perch atop Red Mountain, prominently overlooking the city below. The surrounding 10-acre park was closed. The Statue is fifty six feet tall, and is a depiction of the Roman god of fire. During the casting and molding process, members of the Commercial Club's Vulcan Committee raised funds by assembling the plaster cast. The Vulcan Statue and surrounding park and museum should be a destination for visit to Birmingham. The Commercial Club approved the project in October 1903, although opinions differed over whether to sculpt an "ugly" Vulcan or a "handsome" Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and travel. Download this stock image: The Vulcan statue at Vulcan park in Birmingham, Al. In 1939, Vulcan was moved from the Alabama State Fairgrounds to a newly constructed pedestal atop Red Mountain. The 55 foot tall statue rests atop a 123 foot pedestal giving the monument a total height of 178 feet. Added to … The 56-foot tall statue depicts the Roman god Vulcan, god of the fire and forge The Vulcan Statue is a large cast iron statue that is considered to be the largest one in the world, and it is located in the largest city of the State of Alabama, Birmingham. One that never forgets its roots. Being promoted as the original Iron Man, the Vulcan Statue is the world’s largest cast iron statue. The 56-foot (17 m) tall statue depicts the Roman god Vulcan, god of the fire and forge. The foundation would oversee a master plan to return this colossal statue to his 1904 grandeur. Love the views and history of this place. Stop for lunch! But the statue wasn’t about symbolism alone. Born to Jupiter and Juno, he was the builder of palaces and weapons for gods and demi-gods. What kind of city builds a huge statue of a burly, bearded, bare-bottomed man to tower over its entire population? The history of Vulcan Park and Museum starts in 1903 at the turn of the century. It was not the iconic original Vulcan statue, which sits on a tall pedestal on Red Mountain and is the largest cast iron statue … In 1946, Vulcan was given a neon torch that would glow green unless there was a traffic death in which it would glow red to indicate a motorist death on that day. Giuseppe Moretti, an Italian-born artist who lived in New York and was accomplished in iron and bronze casting, accepted the challenge of creating the towering Vulcan for Birmingham. This list of the tallest statues in the United States ranks free-standing statues based on their height from base to top. Welcome to the Bham Now Guide to Birmingham statues. Material is a bronze finish over white metal. - KK8H94 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. The iron statue stands atop a ~100 foot tower on a high ridge overlooking downtown Birmingham. Vulcan was removed from his pedestal. Even if you are passing through, you can experience the highlights of this gem in less than an hour. For auction is a 4-1/8" tall souviner statue from the Vulcan statue in Birmingham, Al. “After smashing success at the fair, he was brought home to Birmingham,” one display at the park states. The Vulcan statue is the largest cast iron statue in the world, and is the city symbol of Birmingham, Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron and steel industry. From Vulcan's observation deck, visitors enjoy panoramic views of downtown Birmingham and the surrounding Appalachian foothills. No shipping costs apply to the download. When downloading images you may be subject to other costs from your internet service provider. It was built not to bring a nation together or to set forth the noble ideals of liberty and justice; but it was built as an entry in the 1904 World's Fair, the spirit of competition. This statue is located adjacent to a museum which explains the history of Birmingham. Vulcan Statue and Park. The list also includes novelty architecture . ". He was designed by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti and made for the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. A legend says that Vulcan was in love with the figurine of Liberty who used to sit atop the. Today, he’s the most popular figure in town — … After repairs and some recasting by Robinson Iron in, Thompson, George Clinton. This edition features statues honoring people. Vulcan is the Roman god of fire and the forge, and according to myth, the inventor of smithing and metalworking. In addition to the Vulcan Statue the park features a visitors center, which features interactive exhibits about the City of Birmingham and the growth of the iron and steel industry. He stands as a tribute to steel industry that was the primary reason behind Birmingham's historical growth. Vulcan Park and Museum: A tall statue on a hilltop. 56-foot-tall statue of Vulcan, the pagan, bare-butted Roman smithy god, watches Birmingham from his tower on the summit of Red Mountain. Feb 5, 2012 - at the top of the Vulcan Statue in Birmingham, Al He came home to reside in his own park, where he has become Birmingham's best-loved monument since 1938. Few attractions in the city are as well-known or recognized as the 56-foot-tall god of fire, metalworking, and the forge that touches nearly every aspect of the city’s culture. A. MacKnight, who conceived the idea of a giant iron man. Ultimately, the blacksmith god was chosen to showcase Birmingham's industrial might. The 56-foot tall statue depicts the Roman god Vulcan, god of the fire and forge. The statue of Vulcan looks down over the city of Birmingham from a height of almost 600 feet, watching over the city it was built to symbolize. Largest cast iron sculpture in the world. Vulcan is the god of the fire and forge and stands on a 124-foot pedestal. At the fair, Vulcan stood at ground level and was viewed by over 18 million people and featured in newspapers all around the country. Vulcan got $1 million anyway, and in the end became a new man, standing higher than ever atop a 124-foot-tall base. A Vulcan statue was destroyed at Railroad Park on New Years Eve. Map … "Vulcan: Birmingham's Man of Iron. The 56-foot (17 m) tall statue depicts the Roman god Vulcan, god of the fire and forge. Known to be the symbol of the city, this impressive work is 17 meters (56 feet) tall and represents Vulcan, the Roman god of the fire and forge. Vulcan was crafted by the Italian born sculptor Giuseppe Moretti to represent Birmingham in the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The Commercial Club of Birmingham (now the Birmingham Area Chamber of Commerce) took on the task of creating an exhibit under the leadership of club president Frederick M. Jackson and state fair director J. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. History of the Vulcan Would you believe this is the world’s largest cast iron statue! exterior-looking-up-towards-the-southeast, https://www.emporis.com/images/show/223442-Medium-exterior-looking-up-towards-the-southeast.jpg, https://www.emporis.com/images/show/223442-Large-exterior-looking-up-towards-the-southeast.jpg, https://www.emporis.com/images/show/459619-Medium-fullheightview-view-from-the-southeast.jpg, https://www.emporis.com/images/show/459619-Large-fullheightview-view-from-the-southeast.jpg, lookingup-looking-up-the-pedestal-and-new-elevator-shaft-from-below, https://www.emporis.com/images/show/252875-Medium-lookingup-looking-up-the-pedestal-and-new-elevator-shaft-from-below.jpg, https://www.emporis.com/images/show/252875-Large-lookingup-looking-up-the-pedestal-and-new-elevator-shaft-from-below.jpg. The Vulcan statue is the largest cast iron statue in the World, and is the city symbol of Birmingham, Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron and steel industry. The Vulcan Park Foundation was founded in 1999 to undertake a major renovation of the park and statue. The Commercial Club of Birmingham met in May 1903 to discuss contributing materials demonstrating the Birmingham District's mineral resources to Alabama's exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition the next summer in St Louis, Missouri. … Author Pat Byington - July 17, 2017 July 6, 2019 Brother Bryan at Five Points South – photo by Pat Byington. After being closed since the fall of 1999, Vulcan has since seen a complete restoration, and a newly renovated Vulcan Park re-opened on March 8, 2004, to coincide with Vulcan's 100th anniversary. The Vulcan statue is the largest cast iron statue in the world, and is the city symbol of Birmingham, Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron and steel industry. Emporis is a leading database for building information worldwide. So anyway. (10-9-2016) This place is amazing, kinda like mill mountain only better. As a part of the renovations, the marble cladding that had surrounded the pedestal since the 1970s was removed to showcase the original pedestal built by FDR's Works Progress Administration. Standing at 56 feet tall, this monument is definitely something to look at. Vulcan Park. It was created as Birmingham's entry for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904 World's Fair) in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1903, a lack of funds derailed the state government's plans to present an exhibit at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, watches over all of Birmingham as a symbol of the city’s iron origins–and the ever-present spark of its indomitable spirit. The Vulcan statue is the largest cast iron statue in the world, and is the city symbol of Birmingham, Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron and steel industry. Standing tall atop Birmingham’s Red Mountain is a statue that depicts the Roman god Vulcan, a landmark that symbolizes the city’s roots in the iron and steel industry. F. Y. Andersonsuggested creating lar… Vulcan worshipper, 'Get Rid of Vulcan' supporters respond to proposal to remove statue Updated Mar 07, 2019; Posted Aug 07, 2014 Vulcan Check Up from the archives Another promotion took place when the minor-league Birmingham Barons, After the statue was installed on Red Mountain, cracks developed as a the result of the differential expansion rates of the metal and the concrete that was poured into the hollow cavity in the 1930s. It was the first time Vulcan was raised in its entirety, and the club charged 10 cents to view it and sold 12-inch bronze replicas. Birmingham's association with Vulcan dates to the 1880s, a time when Alabama was the nation's fourth-highest producer of iron and steel, fueled by the area's rich. The 55 foot tall statue rests atop a 123 foot pedestal giving the monument a total height of 178 feet. COPYRIGHT © 2000-2021 EMPORIS GMBH. The Statue is 55 feet tall and overlooks the city of Birmingham, on Red Mountain. Water also had entered the statue through an opening in the head and caused rust. Do you need more information about this building and its related companies? stands tall against a crisp, blue fall sky. The aforementioned neon torch was replaced with Vulcan’s original spear as part of a restoration project in the early 2000s. The Vulcan statue is the biggest and tallest statue ever to be built in the United States of America. Born in Birmingham furnaces, the statue of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, was made to represent Birmingham at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair as the iron and steel making capitol of the south. When it comes to famous icons, Birmingham is recognized globally for the “big guy” – Vulcan – the largest cast iron statue in the world. The 56-foot tall statue … * The price includes VAT and shipping costs. From Vulcan's observation deck, visitors enjoy panoramic views of downtown Birmingham and the surrounding Appalachian foothills. Vulcan. The statue itself was built in 1904 and stands 56-feet tall and is perched atop a 124-foot pedestal making if visible for miles. The giant, cast iron statue you see towering above you is Vulcan, the Roman god of metalwork and the forge. I DO NOT SHIP INTERNATIONAL. Feb 13, 2018 - The Vulcan statue is the largest cast iron statue in the world, and is the city symbol of Birmingham, Alabama, reflecting its roots in the iron and steel industry. No reserve. After the World’s Fair the 50 foot statue of Vulcan made it’s way home to … The 56-foot tall statue was commissioned by Birmingham leaders to represent their new, growing city at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The statue was repaired in the 1960s, and in 1971 the city painted Vulcan the color of iron ore, widened the pedestal, and enclosed the observation deck. Vulcan at the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904 | Image: Vulcan Park & Museum He’s a strange fellow, because I would daresay that most of us who grew up in Birmingham are so used to his bare buttocks staring us down from the sky that we hardly find it odd – as if all cities are being mooned by some pagan statue or the other. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and forge, is now the symbol of the city and it's iron origins. You find information about construction projects, architecture, the building industry and city planning. Download this stock image: The Vulcan statue in silhouette, the largest cast iron statue in the world, and the city symbol of Birmingham, Alabama - 2AHW7WN from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. 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