Henry Hudson Kitson (April 9, 1863, 1864 or 1865 – June 26, 1947) was an English-American sculptor who sculpted many representations of American military heroes. Romania's Queen Elisabeth knighted him after he sculpted a marble bust of her in the early 1900s. His student and first wife,

Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson (January 29, 1871 – October 29, 1932), also known as Tho. A. R. Kitson and Theo Alice Ruggles, was an American sculptor. Life Kitson was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, to Cyrus W. and Anna H. Ruggles. As a youn ...

was a sculptor as well, and his brothers, John William Kitson,

Samuel James Kitson Samuel James Kitson (January 1, 1848November 9, 1906) was a British-American sculptor active in the United States from about 1876 to 1906. He maintained studios in New York City and Boston. Many of his works were religious in nature, and he als ...

, and Robert Lewellen Kitson, also had art careers in the United States. He is perhaps best known in the U.S. for his sculpture of the "Minute Man" on Lexington Green, in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Life

Harry, as he was known by his numerous brothers and sisters, migrated to the United States about 1877/8 where he apprenticed with his oldest brother John William Kitson. William Kitson was in business with another Englishman Robert Ellin; their firm, Ellin & Kitson, were identified as architectural sculptors. They specialized in interior carving and wood work in commercial structures and churches. Some buildings they worked on were the Equitable Building, the Tilden Mansion, the Astor Memorial Redos and the William K. Vanderbilt House. Harry and

the next oldest brother were both associated with Ellin & Kitson doing sculptural work. According to family oral history, William now quite successful encouraged and financially provided for Harry Kitson to move to Paris 1n 1882 where he studied at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...

under the sculptor Jean-Marie Bonnassieux and sculptor Dumont. Kitson also was enrolled in the

École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs The École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (ÉnsAD, also known as Arts Decos', École des Arts Décoratifs) is a public grande école of art and design of PSL Research University. The school is located in the Rue d'Ulm in Paris. Profi ...

studying under Millet and Ganter. He returned first in 1884/5 to NYC to his eldest brother William's business but in 1886 removed to Boston where his sculptor brother Sam had established a studio. Once there Kitson received numerous commissions and began teaching. His students included portrait sculptor Leila Usher. John William Kitson died in 1888 and Samuel James had returned to Boston after a stay in Washington, DC. The youngest brother, Robert Lewellen Kitson, a water-colorist, joined his older brothers in Boston about 1902. In 1893, Henry married Theo Alice Ruggles, a former student of his, who went on to have a successful career of her own as

. Theo and Harry had three children: Theo (called Babs), John, who became a civil engineer, and Dorothy. None of the children had issue. The noted sculptor

Gaston Lachaise Gaston Lachaise (March 19, 1882 – October 18, 1935) was a French-born sculptor, active in the early 20th century. A native of Paris, he was most noted for his female nudes such as '' Standing Woman''. Gaston Lachaise was taught the refinement o ...

worked in his atelier. Many of Henry Hudson Kitson papers are in the

Archives of American Art The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washingt ...

in Washington, D.C., as well as the New York Historical Society. Kitson only carried a British passport. He was the author of numerous public monuments, and left behind his home, Santarella, in Tyringham. The home, which Kitson modified extensively, was recently restored and now operates as a special events venue as well as providing overnight accommodation.

Gallery

File:Minute Man Statue Lexington Massachusetts.jpg, '' Minute Man'' Statue,

Lexington, Massachusetts Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans, and was firs ...

File:Minute Man Statue Lexington Massachusetts cropped.jpg, Closeup view of '' Minute Man'' Statue File:Statue of Roger Conant.jpg, Roger Conant Statue,

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

File:Nathaniel Prentice Banks statue, Waltham, MA - 1.JPG,

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union general during the Civil War. A millworker by background, Banks was prominent in local debating societies, ...

Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, ...

File:Santarella, Tyringham MA.jpg, Santarella, Tyringham, Massachusetts File:The Falconer, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island.jpg, ''The Falconer'',

Roger Williams Park Roger Williams Park is an elaborately landscaped city park in Providence, Rhode Island and a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is named after Roger Williams, the founder of the city of Providence and the pr ...

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

. 1893. File:The Pilgrim Maiden, Brewster Gardens, Plymouth, Mass (NYPL b12647398-79399).tiff, ''The Pilgrim Maiden'', Brewster Gardens, Plymouth, Massachusetts File:The Minuteman.jpg, "The Minuteman", at Hasbrouck House,

Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site, also called Hasbrouck House, is located in Newburgh, New York overlooking the Hudson River. George Washington lived there while he was in command of the Continental Army during the final year of the A ...

Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...

, 1924

Vicksburg National Military Park Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. The park, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi (flanking the Mississippi River), also commemorates the greater ...

File:18-14-019-davis.jpg, Statue of Jefferson Davis, 1927 File:20-13-058-vicksburg.jpg, Relief portrait of Col. Mortimer D. Leggett, 1911 File:21-32-123-rigby.jpg, Bust of Capt. William T Rigby, 1928 File:20-13-251-smith.jpg, Bust of Maj. Gen. Martin L. Smith, 1911 File:21-32-289-iowa-cropped.jpg, Bronze Relief Panels on Iowa State Memorial

Selected works

Vicksburg National Military Park Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. The park, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi (flanking the Mississippi River), also commemorates the greater ...

has th
following works by Kitson
** Confederate President Jefferson Davis (statue) 1927 ** Iowa Monument (six relief panels 1906 and equestrian statue 1912) ** Iowa Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood (bust) 1928 ** Union Brig. Gen. Mortimer D. Leggett (relief portrait) 1911 ** Confederate Brig. Gen. Stephen D. Lee (statue) 1909 (first chairman of the Vicksburg NMP Commission) ** Union Maj. Gustavus Lightfoot (relief portrait) 1914 ** Union Adm.

David Glasgow Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. Fa ...

(statue on Navy Monument) 1917 ** Union Lt. William T. Rigby (bust) 1928 (Resident Commissioner of VNMP 1899-1929) ** Union Lt. Cmdr. Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr. (bust) 1913 ** Confederate Maj. Gen. Martin L. Smith (bust) 1911 * Boston area **

David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. F ...

, Marine Park,

South Boston South Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. South Boston, colloquially known as Southie, has undergone several demographic transformat ...

, Massachusetts, 1881 ** Thomas A. Doyle (mayor) monument,

1889 ** Minute man statue,

town green 1900 (often mistaken to be of minuteman Captain John Parker) ** Roger Conant statue at

1905 **

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

1920 Back Bay Fens, Boston. Relocated to Winthrop Square, Boston 1975. Returned to its original Fens location October 2019. ** Henry B. Endicott tablet, Boston, Massachusetts 1921 ** ''The Pilgrim Maiden'' statue, Brewster Gardens, Plymouth, Massachusetts 1922 ** Sir

Richard Saltonstall Sir Richard Saltonstall (baptised Halifax, England 4 April 1586 – October 1661) led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630. He was a nephew of the Lord Mayor of London R ...

monument,

Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End. Waterto ...

1931 *

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

Lloyd Tilghman Memorial The Lloyd Tilghman Memorial is a statue located in Paducah Kentucky, of Lloyd Tilghman, a brigadier general for the Confederate States of America who died at the Battle of Champion Hill in May 1863. Lloyd Tilghman was a native of Maryland who l ...

Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky. The largest city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located at the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio rivers, halfway between St. Louis, Miss ...

References

Family letters, business letters, photos and other documents held by family historian *Frank Torrey Robinson, "Living New England Artists: Biographical Sketches...", S. E. Cassino, Publisher Boston 1888 pgs 113-119 *Columbia Publishing Company, MA , 1892 by Toomey & Juinn, Page 172

External links

* Santarella *
Berkshireweb.com
*
History of Santarella

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitson, Henry Hudson American architectural sculptors American alumni of the École des Beaux-Arts People from Huddersfield 1864 births 1947 deaths English emigrants to the United States 20th-century American sculptors 20th-century American male artists 19th-century American sculptors 19th-century American male artists American male sculptors People from Tyringham, Massachusetts