Eagle Feathers #222 – The Collector

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Julian deCordova and his wife traveled extensively collecting art and antiques from around the world during their 46-year marriage. They were globetrotters 16 times over and had the means to do it. For many decades, they indiscriminately gathered art work which fancied their personal varied interests.

Today, the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln honors their memory and their appreciation of all-encompassing artwork. If you find yourself driving along Route 128 just south of Route 2, it’s hard to miss the historic brown and white signs directing you to the 35-acre grounds. Its ever-changing exhibits surround the heart of the popular museum which is its European castle-shaped mansion.

DeCordova was proud of his over 200 craftsmen whose creations could be seen from coast to coast including the windows of Tiffany & Company. He exhibited his lands, castle and sculpture park collection to the public. One sparkling water exhibit was his diamond fountain where its flower and star-carpeted base was created out of glimmering Union Glass door knobs. On retirement, trustees are honored with a gift of one of these handsome relics.

Julian acquired most of his wealth as the last owner of the Union Glass Company of Somerville. Its first owner, Amory Houghton had moved his small company to a northern New York settlement. Now, 170 years later, this world-renowned business echoes the name of its village, Corning. Julian left a legacy to his taste in art, and today’s fascinating ground and rooftop Sculpture Parks at deCordova honor that legacy.

 Somerville has its own Sculpture Parks across the city. One honors our veterans on Central Hill and two others honor our citizens at Davis Square. The notable towers of the Seven Hills Park are located behind the Somerville Theatre and give an historic flavor of the city to commuters, tourists and city dwellers alike.

The square’s other Statue Park was built with the 1980 arrival of the MBTA Red Line Extension and was originally located in the College-Holland Street Plaza. This was a group of ten, lifelike carvings based on everyday people who lived nearby. Because of vandalism in the late 1990’s, the statues were refitted with bronze masks … sadly not unlike our uniform of 2020.

The ten individual statues still stand and are relocated near the subway entrances and a nearby park. Also, pieces of Julian’s collection are held at the Somerville Museum. Julian would most probably have liked that historical acknowledgement.