Ward, John Quincy Adams, 1830-1910

Dates

• Existence: 1830 June 29 - 1910 May 1

Biographical note

John Quincy Adams Ward (1830–1910) was a prolific sculptor of monuments, portrait busts, and other public works. Throughout his career, he actively taught and participated in art organizations, showing his dedication to developing an American school of sculpture. Some of his better know works include: Indian Hunter (bronze), Central Park, New York, 1857-1864; George Washington (bronze), Wall Street, New York, 1883; Garfield Monument (bronze), Washington, D.C., 1887; and, the pediment on the New York Stock Exchange (marble), New York, 1903.

Ward was born in Urbana, Ohio, a city founded by his paternal grandfather Colonel William Ward. After studying medicine at the age of nineteen, he moved to New York City upon the invitation of his sister. There he undertook an apprenticeship with the famed sculptor Henry Kirke Brown. Under Brown's guidance, Ward mastered the molding of clay, plaster, marble, and bronze. Ward's early work helped popularize bronze casting in the United States and spurred development of the national bronze casting industry. Ward opened his own New York studio in 1861 and received steady commissions until his death in 1910. A replica of "Indian Hunter" stands at his gravesite in Urbana's Oakdale Cemetery, and Ward's Urbana home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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