I've lived in Indianapolis a long time now.
I've passed Christ Church Cathedral thousands of times over the years,
attended services, and gotten homemade shortcakes at the annual
Strawberry Festival. Until today, however, I'd never noticed
this little sculpture set in a corner of the church yard.
Incised in the base of the sculpture are the words,
To Remember ALBERT SPLATT, 1940-1977.
I only found one mention of him on-line, in the caption
for a newspaper photo, showing him making a presentation
to one of the church's Strawberry Festival founders.
Whoever Mr. Splatt was, he was sufficently respected by members
of the church for them to want to make a small memorial
in his honor. The humble statue of St. Francis sits just off the sidewalk
around Monument Circle, a bird in hand and his toes
curled over the edge of the base.
2 comments:
What a strange, melancholy and beautiful statue, Speedway, and such a glorious name! Surely Albert Splatt's story is a job for our Queen of Research.
I'll try to remember to stop in a the church office some time next week, Dive.
The news photo I found on line was taken about a year before his death - and he didn't resemble St. Francis one bit.
The statue is positioned in the corner of a flower bed. you can see the start of a tulip's leaf to the sculpture's right, about 10 or 12 feet from the sidewalk.
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