By Gregory Glenn Niemuth, for the CVPost
Two Eau Claire Area School District (ECASD) employees share a common interest in history that has produced two servings of educational fruit.
One was the installation of three pieces of historical artwork in the remodeled entryway to the gymnasium at Memorial High School. The second was bringing to light the fascinating story behind the sculptor who created the original artwork.
Friezes donated in 1926
The friezes, originally located in the old Eau Claire High School at 500 Main St., are not originals. These copies were donated to the school in 1926 by the American Legion in recognition of Armistice Day on Nov. 11 that year.
Efforts to research Percy Bryant Baker, the creator of the three friezes, led ECASD Building and Grounds Director Larry Sommerfeld and Memorial mathematics instructor Mark Slepica to a captivating bit of Eau Claire history – although parts of this story remain to be uncovered.
Although they work in different parts of the district, Sommerfeld and Slepica have brought knowledge of Baker to everyone entering the school gymnasium. Thanks to Slepica’s research, we know Baker was born in London in 1881. Thanks to Sommerfeld’s desire to make sure the friezes were displayed publicly, they were incorporated into the design work for the entrance to gym – The Eagles Nest.
Baker a third generation sculptor
Baker’s father and grandfather were both sculptors and Baker himself became an apprentice to his father, creating the third generation of sculptors in the family. Queen Alexandra commissioned him to do several sculptures before he emigrated to the United States in 1916.
Baker apparently began creating contemporary art soon after his arrival in the U.S, since one of the friezes at Memorial is titled “The Spirit of 1917.”
Baker became a U.S. citizen in 1923 and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he worked in Army hospitals creating artificial limbs and facemasks for wounded veterans of World War I. After winning a design competition in 1928, Baker created a 27-foot tall, six-ton sculpture named “Pioneer Woman.”
Located in Ponca City, OK, it is his best-known work, although he sculpted busts of five presidents including Taft, Coolidge and Kennedy. He also did a 17-foot statue of George Washington, as well as a statue of Abraham Lincoln.
After Baker died in New York City in 1970, his entire studio was purchased and moved to the Ponca City Cultural Center near his “Pioneer Woman” statue. His ashes were returned to England, but his legacy is alive at Memorial High School.
Note: the home page photo shows the “Pioneer Woman” statue by Percy Bryant Baker, located in Ponca City, OK.
Gregory Glenn Niemuth is a retired faculty member at Eau Claire Memorial High School.
Research assistance for this article was provided by Mark Slepica, a Memorial mathematics instructor.