Philip Reed (sculptor)
Enslaved 19th century African American master craftsman with pivotal role in historical monuments / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philip Reed, known as Philip Reid before he was emancipated (c. 1820 – February 6, 1892),[lower-alpha 1] was an African American master craftsman who worked at the foundries of self-taught sculptor Clark Mills. There, historical monuments such as the 1853 equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square, near the White House in Washington, D.C., the 1860 equestrian statue of George Washington in Washington Circle, and the 1863 Statue of Freedom in Washington, D.C., were created.
Philip Reed | |
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Born | 1820 South Carolina |
Died | February 6, 1892(1892-02-06) (aged 71–72) Washington, D.C. |
Resting place | National Harmony Memorial Park in Landover, Maryland |
Other names | Philip Reid, before emancipation |
Occupation | Sculptor |
Notable work | Statues of George Washington and Andrew Jackson, and the Statue of Freedom |
He was born in c. 1820 into slavery in South Carolina's historic city of Charleston. Reed was already recognized for his talents in the foundry industry when he began working as an enslaved apprentice to Mills in 1842.
Reed was emancipated on April 16, 1862, under the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. After his emancipation, he assisted Mills in installing the Statue of Freedom atop the United States Capitol, which was completed on December 2, 1863. In the 1860s, after having worked at the foundry for almost two decades, Reed's skills in working with bronze casting were recognized. In 1928, Tennessee Representative Finis J. Garrett presented a paper honoring Reed for his "faithful service and genius", and describing the key role he had played in casting the statue of Freedom, that is now part of the Congressional Record.