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Carving

Columbia Greeting a Woman and Boatman Unfurling a Sail

Lee Lawrie

American, born Germany. 1877 - 1963

Above 19 West 50th Street Entrance

These two panels are part of the three pieces Lee Lawrie created as an appeal for world peace. The other is Swords Into Plowshares. The allegorical scene of the New World features Columbia, the feminine symbol of America, welcoming an immigrant to America. Columbia’s soft felt liberty cap derives from caps worn by newly liberated slaves of ancient Rome. The rising Rockefeller Center skyscrapers in the background reinforce the New World. The adjacent panel features a muscular boatman standing on a ship, focused on his work; the ship is the means to freedom.

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