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The three busts became more than a work of art; they represented the three types of constructive reformers. Lucretia Mott symbolized the spiritual aspect of the women’s rights movement; Elizabeth Cady Stanton the intellectual; and Susan B. Anthony the vital, “that which enables great leadership.” Together, they served as the mightiest forces of “the tremendous wave in human evolution known and designated as the Woman Movement.” |
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Susan B. Anthony did not want the busts placed in Statuary Hall. Ida Harper explained: “She thinks that they would seem infinitesimal by the side of the heroic figures there, and she especially objects to the atmosphere of tobacco, spittoons, and the class of men who roam around there [the Capitol].” |
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“All great movements have their historians. Some of them have their poets. At least one has had its sculptor ---- Mrs. Adelaide Johnson is the sculptor of the movement for the emancipation of women.” --- the Washington Post, 1909 |
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“The great three monument now begins.”
On July 18, 1920, the “mysterious, not to say mystical,”
process of measuring commenced. |
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Left: Marble block being hauled to studio in Carrara, Italy. Right; Crated monument being removed from studio. |
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One man admired Johnson’s skill: “My God, did this little woman do that great piece of work?” Other viewers suggested: “Three startled old ladies sitting up suddenly in bed.” |