Richard Henry Park

Richard Henry Park
Born	February 17, 1832 Hebron, Connecticut
Died	1902 Battle Creek, Michigan
Occupation	Sculptor
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Richard Henry Park (also Richard Hamilton Park; February 17, 1832 – 1902) was an American sculptor who worked in marble and bronze. He was commissioned to do work by the wealthy of the nineteenth century. He also created sculptures for the Chicago World's Fair of 1893.

Park was born February 17, 1832, in Hebron, Connecticut. He was inspired by a Hiram Powers exhibition to become a sculptor. From 1855, Park worked in the Albany, New York studio of Erastus Dow Palmer, the foremost neoclassical sculptor of his time, starting out as a marble cutter's apprentice making marble copies of Palmer's work. He stayed until 1861, working as an assistant to Palmer alongside other future sculptors Launt Thompson and Charles Calverley. He moved to New York city to establish an independent career before moving to Florence, Italy around 1871. Park's early work was in marble, later changing to the medium of bronze for natural sculptures, in line with the American trend for late nineteenth century sculptures.

During his time in Florence, Park was commissioned to prepare a marble bust of John Plankinton, an astute businessman who founded the meat industry in Wisconsin and was respected as "Milwuakee's foremost citizen". Plankinton was known for religious convictions, his success from a modest upbringing, and for his regular philanthropic public deeds; he became known as "A Merchant Prince and Princely Merchant". Plankinton's daughter, Elizabeth, travelled to Europe in 1879, and met Park in Florence. On return to Milwaukee, Elizabeth convinced her father to let her commission Park to sculpt the first piece of public art for Milwaukee, a monument to George Washington. Park worked on the monument to Washington in Florence, and it was completed and shipped to Milwaukee for its dedication in November 1885; Elizabeth donated it to the city of Milwaukee as a philanthropic gesture. At some point, Park and Elizabeth Plankinton became engaged, and in 1886 John Plankinton commenced construction on a mansion to be a wedding gift for his only daughter. On 18 September 1887, Park married another woman, a dancer from Minneapolis, shortly after his Juneau Monument (in recognition of Milwaukee's first Mayor, Solomon Juneau) was dedicated. When Elizabeth learned of Park's marriage, she left on a long trip to Europe. On her return, she took her only look at the mansion her father had built, and is said never to have set foot in it again.

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