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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Midtown - Westport in Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
 

The "Fourth Dolphin"

of the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain

 
 
The "Fourth Dolphin" Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 24, 2015
1. The "Fourth Dolphin" Marker
Inscription.
The sculptures of the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain were originally created by French sculptor Henri Leon Greber in 1910 for a fountain in the formal garden at Harbor Hill, the Long Island, New York estate of Clarence and Katherine Mackay.

During the Great Depression, the Mackay fortune was lost. The art collection was later sold off and the grand estate was eventually demolished and redeveloped.

In 1947, the Singer family of Greenvale, New York purchased one of the fountain's smaller sculptures of children playing on a fish (conventionally called a "dolphin"). They kept it as a family treasure for over 60 years, never knowing what became of the remaining sculptures.

The Singer family discovered their sculpture's relationship to Kansas City's popular J. C. Nichols Memorial Fountain through the internet in 2008. The original "Fourth Dolphin" was purchased by the City, and rejoined the other sculptures during a major fountain renovation in 2015.

Miller Nichols and the Nichols family purchased the other sculptures in 1959, to create a memorial fountain in honor of his father, Jesse Clyde Nichols. He hired artist Herman Frederick Simon to recreate a similar piece to fill in for the missing "Fourth Dolphin" and other missing parts.

This sculpture is the replica "Fourth Dolphin" which held a place in the fountain

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from 1960 to 2014 and remains a valued piece in Kansas City's art collection.
 
Erected 2015.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: ArchitectureArts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1910.
 
Location. 39° 2.566′ N, 94° 35.242′ W. Marker is in Kansas City, Missouri, in Jackson County. It is in Midtown - Westport. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street and 47th Street (U.S. 56), on the right when traveling south on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: South end of Mill Creek Park, Kansas City MO 64111, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Jesse Clyde Nichols Memorial Fountain (within shouting distance of this marker); The Seville Light Fountain (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Giralda Tower (about 400 feet away); Neptune (approx. 0.2 miles away); Aleman Court (approx. 0.2 miles away); Wild Boar of Florence (approx. 0.2 miles away); Landing At Westport (approx. ¼ mile away); Union Position (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Kansas City.
 
More about this marker. The J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain is at the eastern gateway to Country Club Plaza, perhaps J.C. Nichols' most beloved real estate development.
 
Related marker.
The "Fourth Dolphin" Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 24, 2015
2. The "Fourth Dolphin" Marker
The J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain in background
Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
 
Also see . . .
1. Missing piece to be reunited with J.C. Nichols Fountain (YouTube 2015). (Submitted on September 6, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Henri Léon Gréber Info. (Submitted on September 6, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Lecture Info on J. C. Nichols at KC Public Library. (Submitted on September 6, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
 
The "Fourth Dolphin" Replica by H. F. Simon image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 24, 2015
3. The "Fourth Dolphin" Replica by H. F. Simon
The Reunited "Fourth Dolphin" image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., August 24, 2015
4. The Reunited "Fourth Dolphin"
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 399 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 6, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mar. 19, 2024