On This Day In Alabama History: Vulcan Assembled, Dedicated

By Alabama NewsCenter Staff

June 7, 1904

Vulcan, the largest iron figure ever cast, was fully assembled and dedicated in St. Louis. Designed by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti for the 1904 World’s Fair to convey Birmingham’s status as an industrial powerhouse, the statue was 56 feet tall and weighed 60 tons. After being designed in New Jersey, the plaster casts were shipped to Birmingham for casting and molding, then shipped in pieces to St. Louis for final assembly. After the World’s Fair, Vulcan was sent back to Birmingham and eventually was installed on Red Mountain in the 1930s. Major renovations were needed over the years as the statue fell into disrepair. Along with an accompanying history museum, Vulcan today is a top tourist attraction.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.

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