Laura Gardin Fraser (September 14, 1889 – August 13, 1966) was an American

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

. She was married to sculptor James Earle Fraser and was a first cousin of painter

Agnes Pelton Agnes Lawrence Pelton (August 22, 1881 – March 13, 1961) was a Modernism, modernist painter who was born in Germany and moved to the United States as a child. She studied art in the United States and Europe. She made portraits of Puebloans, Pueb ...

. Laura Gardin studied under Fraser at the

Art Students League of New York The Art Students League of New York is an art school in the American Fine Arts Society in Manhattan, New York City. The Arts Students League is known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may study f ...

from 1910 to 1912. Alone or with her husband she designed a number of U.S. coins, notably the 1921 Alabama Centennial half dollar, the 1922 Grant Memorial half dollar, the 1925

Fort Vancouver Centennial half dollar The Fort Vancouver Centennial half dollar, sometimes called the Fort Vancouver half dollar, is a commemorative fifty-cent piece struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1925. The coin was designed by Laura Gardin Fraser. Its obvers ...

, and the 1926 Oregon Trail Memorial half dollar. In 1931 she was the winner of the competition to design a new quarter with

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

on the

obverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...

. Her winning design was not selected by the then-

Treasury Secretary The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

Andrew Mellon Andrew William Mellon (; March 24, 1855 – August 26, 1937), known also as A. W. Mellon, was an American banker, businessman, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector, and politician. The son of Mellon family patriarch Thomas Mellon ...

, who selected a design by John Flanagan. Fraser's design was coined as a commemorative five-dollar gold piece in 1999, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of

's death. From 2022 to 2025, the design will be used for the American Women quarters series that celebrates prominent American women. In 1924, she was elected into the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Frederick Styles Agate, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, an ...

as an Associate member, and became a full academician in 1931.

Early life and education

Gardin was born on September 14, 1889, in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, the daughter of John Emil and Alice Tilton GardinGilbert, Dorothy B., ‘’Who’s Who in American Art 1962", R.R. Bowker Company, New York, 1962 She received her elementary education in Morton Park schools. Laura attended school in

Rye, New York Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, within the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area. It received its charter as a city in 1942, making it the most recent such charter in the state. Its area of ...

, then Wadleigh and the

Horace Mann School Horace Mann School (also known as Horace Mann or HM) is an American private, independent college-preparatory school in the Bronx, founded in 1887. Horace Mann is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League, educating students from the New Yo ...

in New York City. She graduated from the latter in the class of 1907. At an early age she had shown an aptitude in modeling figures and working in clay, a talent she developed under the guidance of her mother, who was an artist. After high school, Laura studied at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

briefly, then enrolled for work at the

Art Students' League The Art Students League of New York is an art school in the American Fine Arts Society in Manhattan, New York City. The Arts Students League is known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may study fu ...

. It was during her years at the League that she met and studied under James Earle Fraser, whom she later married.

Career

Although recognized principally for her

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...

lic contributions, Laura won outstanding commissions for heroic-size sculpture. Of these, the most notable was her winning the competition for a double equestrian statue of Generals

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

and

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. The competition was held in 1936 and six eminent American sculptors,

Lee Lawrie Lee Oscar Lawrie (October 16, 1877 – January 23, 1963) was an American architectural sculptor and an important figure in the American sculpture scene preceding World War II. Over his long career of more than 300 commissions Lawrie's style ev ...

Paul Manship Paul Howard Manship (December 25, 1885 – January 31, 1966) was an American Sculpture, sculptor. He consistently created mythological pieces in a classical style, and was a major force in the Art Deco in the United States, Art Deco movement. ...

Edward McCartan Edward Francis McCartan (August 16, 1879 – September 20, 1947) was an American sculptor, best known for his decorative bronzes done in an elegant style popular in the 1920s. Life Born in Albany, New York, he studied at the Pratt Institute, ...

, Hans Schuler, Frederick William Sievers and Laura Fraser were invited to submit designs. Fraser was the only woman sculptor invited to enter the competition. Her work was also part of the art competitions at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...

and the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...

. In January 2016, a task force looking into

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

monuments in

recommended that the monument to Jackson and Lee, along with a statue of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

Roger B. Taney Roger Brooke Taney ( ; March 17, 1777 – October 12, 1864) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the fifth Chief Justice of the United States, chief justice of the United States, holding that office from 1836 until his death in 186 ...

, be removed. The commissioners recommended that the sculpture of Jackson and Lee be offered to the U.S. Park Service for installation in

Chancellorsville, Virginia Chancellorsville is a historic site and unincorporated community in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, United States, about ten miles west of Fredericksburg. The name of the locale derives from the mid-19th century inn operated by the family of Geo ...

. The two Confederate generals last met in person shortly before the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Confederate General Robert E. Lee's risky decision to divide h ...

in 1863.Baltimore City commission recommends removal of two Confederate monuments
/ref> The sculpture was removed in the early hours of August 16, 2017, by the City of Baltimore, in reaction to the unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia a few days prior. The future of this sculpture is undecided as the city tries to find a new home for it.

Death

Fraser died on August 13, 1966, in

Norwalk, Connecticut Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The city, part of the New York metropolitan area, New York Metropolitan Area, is the List of municipalities of Connecticut by population, sixth-most populous city in Connecticut ...

, at age 76. She is buried next to her husband in Willowbrook Cemetery in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Laura Gardin 1889 births 1966 deaths 20th-century American sculptors Art Students League of New York alumni Artists from Chicago Horace Mann School alumni American medallists National Academy of Design members Sculptors from New York (state) Sculptors from Illinois American coin designers Art competitors at the 1932 Summer Olympics Art competitors at the 1928 Summer Olympics Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters 20th-century American women sculptors Suffragists from Connecticut