Augusta Savage

You can see works by Augusta Savage at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as well as the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Much of Savage's artwork did not survive the test of time, as is explained in this clip from PBS's Antiques Roadshow. Many of her works were cast in plaster, because bronze was too expensive for her to cast at the time. Plaster is a fragile material and breaks easily. Savage was well known for creating life-like busts of African American thought leaders like W.E.B. DuBois and Marcus Garvey. You can see her sculpting technique in this video.

Lift Every Voice and Sing (The Harp) was commissioned for the 1939 World's Fair in New York City. Reaching 16 feet high, the sculpture was one of the most popular sights to see at the fair.  Savage was inspired by the song Lift Every Voice and Sing written by James Weldon Johnson and set to music by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson. It is considered the Black National Anthem, and was recently sung at the 2023 Super Bowl. Sadly, her monumental sculpture was demolished after the 1939 World's Fair ended.