Harry Weber working on his latest project - Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

PICKING THE RIGHT MOMENT

While it is often the case that a specific act or moment is dictated (the raising of the flag at Iwo lima for instance), I have often found the most compelling sculptures to be depictions of the "everyday circumstance" of historical figures. Depicting the tired and determined faces of men ~ a battle is often more effective than showing the battle itself in conveying how it must have felt and how it impacts the soul of a man. And, I believe art should touch the soul if it is to be effective.

Often, the scene desired dictates the timing and the moment chosen. Charles Drury , for instance, in commissioning the statues now in the lobby of this hotel, wanted to show Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea and her baby in a cradle board. This narrowed the the time frame to the Spring or early Summer of 1805 because the famous native American guide did not join the party until after they wintered at the Mandan villages and would have been carrying her baby by the end of that stay. And, since the scenery in the background was of considerable interest to the entire display we picked the White Cliffs region of the upper Missouri River. This further specified the time to early May. We knew that frequent stops for formal observation were made along the way and we selected a hypothetical one of these for our scene. Clark had primary responsibility for mapping the river while Lewis made astronomical/navigational sights. Sacagawea was known for locating roots and other edibles for the party. Using this information, we tried to portray a "typical" afternoon's stop to observe. We show Lewis and Clark intent upon the faithful observation and recording of the landscape while Sacagawea is nearby climbing out of the water with Lewis' dog, Seaman. She is with the party but it is obvious to the careful onlooker that she has a personal agenda Quite different than that of Lewis and Clark. She looks west with some hope of returning to her home after an enforced absence of six years.

AVOIDING TECHNICAL MISTAKES

We went to considerable lengths to insure that our depiction of the party was accurate or at leastfeasible. We read several books about the period in general and the Lewis and Clark expedition in particular. We consulted historians who specialized in the subject of dress and equipment and wherever possible used clothing and equipment known to have been owned by the men in the party. Inevitably, we had to make judgments and informed guesses as to how these men looked. One source we learned not to trust was previously accepted illustrations by artists working several decades after the expedition was already legend. The most reliable information coupled with good judgment was our best guide.