Professor Joseph Henry, Bronze sculpture at Smithsonian Institution Building, United States
The bronze statue stands 9 feet tall, depicting Professor Joseph Henry with a pedestal adorned with a horseshoe magnet bound in insulated wire.
William Wetmore Story completed this memorial sculpture in 1882, following a Congressional allocation of $15,000 for the bronze statue and granite base.
The sculpture represents the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who made fundamental discoveries in electromagnetic research and influenced modern electrical engineering.
Located on the north side of the Smithsonian Castle between Jefferson Drive NW and the building, the statue faces the National Mall.
The statue was turned around in 1965 to face the Mall, as Henry had expressed dislike for the building despite residing there for over twenty years.
Location: Washington, D.C.
Inception: 1882
Creator: William Wetmore Story
GPS coordinates: 38.88916,-77.02597
Latest update: March 14, 2025 14:17
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