One of the long-term goals of Mariemont Preservation Foundation has been to protect and preserve this historic family statuary. A model of this statuary named “L’Enfance” by French Sculptor Lucien Alliot was discovered in Paris in 1920’s by Charles Livingood, Mary Emery’s business advisor, who felt that this statuary epitomized Mary Emery’s vision for Mariemont as an ideal place to raise a family. An original was intended to be carved for the City of Paris, but it was agreed that a duplicate would be carved from French limestone for Mariemont, with a stipulation inscribed on the statuary that the original belongs to the City of Paris. However, no carving, except this one in Mariemont was ever made. The French Sculpture Organization has no knowledge of any other life-sized carvings by Alliot which makes this statuary historically unique. The statues were unveiled and dedicated on November 16, 1929 (the same date as the dedication of the Mariemont carillon).
A culmination of a detrimental environmental climate and the freeze/thaw weather conditions prevalent in Cincinnati have caused the deterioration of the finer details of the statues. Several limestone companies were consulted as to how to preserve and protect this statuary and the consensus was just to clean them and cover them with a shelter to protect them from further weathering thus preserving them for the enjoyment of future generations.
Plans also include updating the adjacent Dale Park Gardens to showcase the Family Statuary in a more enhanced setting.
Emblematic of the high quality of life in Mariemont, this statuary, appropriately named “L’Enfance” (to childhood), will endure only if we act to protect it. The construction of an appropriately sized protective structure is a major undertaking. Both the building of the shelter and the rehabilitation of the park are estimated to cost nearly one million dollars. As stewards of Mariemont’s historical integrity, Mariemont Preservation Foundation is leading the charge to ensure this project comes to fruition.
We hope you will join us in this important pursuit.
To learn more about the details of the preservation, visit Family Statuary and Dale Park Project Description.
Last modified: July 12, 2024
