Vulcan statue, Cast iron statue on Red Mountain in Birmingham, United States.
Vulcan is a cast iron sculpture rising 56 feet above a pedestal on Red Mountain in Birmingham, Alabama. The figure holds a hammer and anvil, symbols of metalworking, and stands within a park that includes a museum and observation platform.
After the Louisiana Purchase Exposition closed in St. Louis, the sculpture traveled back to Birmingham and was placed in different locations around the city. Workers moved it to Red Mountain in the 1930s, where it received a new sandstone pedestal and permanent home.
The figure represents Birmingham's iron industry through its material and subject, linking the city to metalworking traditions. Giuseppe Moretti shaped each section separately in Italy before workers assembled them on site in Alabama.
The park includes an observation platform with views over the city and a small museum covering local history. The site is easy to reach, though visitors should allow time to climb to the viewing deck.
The torch at the top glows in different colors at night and once signaled traffic fatalities in the city. Today the light serves mainly as a landmark visible across Birmingham's rooftops.
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