Statue of Leif Erikson (Boston)


Leif Eriksson is an outdoor statue by Anne Whitney at the west end of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Installed in 1887, it was the first public sculpture to honor the Norse explorer in the New World. Later that year a copy, Leif, the Discoverer, was placed in Juneau Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Description

The bronze is tall and stands on a red sandstone pedestal high, with a small stonework boat at the base. The granite around the sculpture originally served as a fountain, but has since been converted to a flower bed. The work contains runes as well as the English inscription "Leif the Discoverer, Son of Erik, who sailed from Iceland and landed on this continent, AD 1000." It depicts Leif as a young man lifting his left hand to shield his gaze.

History

The memorial was commissioned by the baking powder magnate Eben Norton Horsford, prompted by conversations with Ole Bull and others, to promote the idea of Norse exploration of North America. Its dedication in October 1887 was followed by a big parade through Boston Common to Faneuil Hall.
Whitney corresponded with Frederick Law Olmsted about the placement of the monument and its landscaping. It was later moved for a road realignment. The site was surveyed as part of the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in 1993. Corrosion was treated in 2007 and an acrylic protective coating was applied.