Construction of the Statue of Faith, Plymouth Monument, c. 1877

A fascinating nineteenth-century cabinet card documenting the construction of the colossal Statue of Faith for the National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Workmen pose on ladders and scaffolding surrounding the enormous granite figure, dramatically illustrating the scale of the sculpture. The photograph was taken by Morse & McIntosh of Hallowell, Maine.

Designed by Hammatt Billings, the monument commemorates the Pilgrims and the principles upon which they founded their commonwealth. The 36-foot figure of Faith was carved from Maine granite at the Hallowell Granite Works. The completed monument, standing 81 feet tall, was dedicated in 1889.

Today, the monument remains one of the largest freestanding solid-granite monuments in the United States. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, it is preserved as a public historic site in Plymouth under the care of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Published as a historical souvenir by A. S. Burbank of the Pilgrim Bookstore in Plymouth, the cabinet card features an extensive printed history of the monument on the reverse. The photograph offers a fascinating record of nineteenth-century monumental sculpture, craftsmanship, and engineering.

Photographer: Morse & McIntosh, Hallowell, Maine Publisher: A. S. Burbank, Plymouth, Massachusetts Date: c. 1877 Process: Albumen Print mounted on Cabinet Card Size: Cabinet Card Condition: Very Good