of Salem, Ohio Architectural Metalwork & Statuary |  |
of Salem, Ohio Architectural Metalwork & Statuary | |
Everything about
the W.H. Mullins Company was big. The statue of the god Hermann (above), created
as a monument for the city of New Ulm, Minnesota, stood 32 feet high, and was the
largest figure of its type ever made in the United States. It was constructed of
sheet copper on a braced copper frame, as were most of Mullins' monumental
figures. The statuary was made of
either sheet copper or sheet zinc, stamped in cast-iron forms up to 72" wide. The
individual pieces were then soldered together and braced internally with an iron
or copper skeleton. For regular production pieces, like weathervanes and
architectural ornament, the cast-iron forms were used over and over; for
one-of-a-kind creations, however, the molds were melted down to use on future
projects.
The W.H. Mullins Company created what was probably the world's largest working weathervane. The 18-foot high, 1,800-pound figure of the goddess Diana (right) was originally constructed for New York City's Madison Square Garden, and was so delicately balanced that it revolved with only 1/2-pound of wind pressure. |
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 | The original was later removed to the agricultural building at the Chicago World's Fair and replaced by a smaller version, shown at left in the Mullins workshop. |
Mullins' production
weathervanes, although not nearly as grandiose, were still of an impressive
midwestern scale. This dramatic running horse was 70" long.
Most of the vanes, however, were of a more conventional size. These weathervanes
were available in both zinc and copper; thrifty midwestern farmers, as you would
expect, usually opted for the less-expensive zinc.
 Cock 22" high |
 Fish 25" long |
 Bull 10 1/2" long |
 Horse 24" long |
 Bull 16 1/2" long |
There are few towns in the
United States that don't have examples of monumental statuary in their public
places and, if we are to believe their 1896 catalog (from which the images in
this article were taken), those created by W.H. Mullins were the best.
"A large class of imitators and so-called competitors have sprung up in different parts of the country who are furnishing a cheap and inferior line of work, different entirely from the work we are making, and in many cases pirating our designs."
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The best place to look for Mullins' work is on public
buildings. Mullins manufactured an extensive line of eagles (we had one several years ago with a six-foot wing span), as well as heroically proportioned
figures of Justice, Law, Mercy, etc. which were often incorporated into the
architecture of old county courthouses. Public libraries often displayed
lions, seated or standing, or figures of the Muses.
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 | Journey
from the courthouse to the town parks and cemeteries. The Civil War statues may well
be by Mullins, and that statue of old Chief Hopican could easily be one of the
generic Mullins Indian figures.
In addition to the impressive statuary illustrated here, W.H. Mullins also manufactured embossed tin ceilings, architectural pediments and corbels, and an extensive array of lawn and garden ornaments. |  |
