‘Pup’-lic Art Philadelphia’s Streetscape Has Gone to the Dogs ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY DAN SAYERS A merica’s cityscapes are dotted with public art installations. From Seattle to San Juan, civic pride is celebrated outdoors through works of art ranging from the traditional to the avant–garde.
can be found across the city. The design for this beastly bal- ustrade appeared in Lewis Nockalls Cottingham’s The Smith, Founders and Ornamental Metal-Workers Director , pub- lished in London in 1824. The lively ornamental casting was originally lent to the Episcopal Community Services, owner property when the area underwent significant restoration in the 1950s. The hounds have watched over the street ever since. The house’s original owner, Brigadier General William Henry Winder, was a controversial figure in American his- tory who led his troops in a disastrous campaign during the War of 1812. His Philadelphia neighbors included Samuel and Mary Powell whose Georgian-style home hosted many nota- ble guests, including Benjamin Franklin and the Marquis de Lafayette. George and Martha Washington also lived on the street from 1781–1782 in the home of John Penn, the last colo- nial governor of Pennsylvania and grandson of the Common- wealth’s founder, William Penn. In more recent years, other notable Philadelphians have called this block of Third Street home. Herbert T. Morris, co–founder of the Tasty Baking Company and Vice President of the Philadelphia Zoological Garden lived here. In 1951, Morris presented the city’s Fair- mount Park Commission with a 48–acre tract of land adjoin- ing the Wissahickon Valley. The parcel was once the estate of T. E. Mitten whose son bred English Setters on the property. Dr. A. A. Mitten’s Happy Valley Kennels produced many nota- ble winners, including Ch. Blue Dan of Happy Valley, Best American Bred in Show at Westminster in 1931 and ’33.
Though many sculptures honor pride–of–place or historical figures, more than a few can leave viewers scratching their heads in bemusement. When a giant clothespin was installed across the street from Philadelphia’s city hall, many residents viewed Claes Oldenburg’s work as some sort of colossal joke. However, it didn’t take long before onlookers started to imagine the steel structure as two figures in an embrace. The giant totem has since become a destination where peo- ple choose to meet. Thanks to a progressive art commission that requires developers to dedicate at least one percent of total construction costs toward the commissioning of origi- nal site–specific works of art, the City of Brotherly Love has become a veritable art museum without walls (or admission fees!) Some of the pieces even honor the timeless appeal of the purebred dog. These works can genuinely be considered part of the city’s “pup”–lic art program. A WHIPPET BALCONY In the Society Hill neighborhood, a balcony on the second floor of the Winder House features a pair of hounds that greet passersby on South Third Street. Once part of the Philadel- phia Museum of Art’s collection, the “Whippet Balcony” is one of hundreds of early nineteenth century ironworks that “THANKS TO A PROGRESSIVE ART COMMISSION THAT REQUIRES DEVELOPERS TO DEDICATE AT LEAST ONE PERCENT OF TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS TOWARD THE COMMISSIONING OF ORIGINAL SITE–SPECIFIC WORKS OF ART...”
The ‘Whippet Balcony’ greets passersby at the Winder House in Philadelphia’s Society Hill neighborhood.
138 • S how S ight M agazine , A pril 2018
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