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Born in Clarksburg, West Virginia in 1925 to Richard and Thelma Gaylord, Frank Gaylord reportedly began his sculpting career at the age of three, crafting animals out of clay when his grandmother refused to make them for him. Gaylord went on to attend Washington Irving High School in Clarksburg, graduating in 1943 and subsequently being drafted by the United States Army a few weeks later. Serving with the 1st Battalion, 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 17th Airborne Divison in the Second World War, Gaylord received the Bronze Star for Valor for his actions and spent many months in a military hospital recovering from injuries he endured while serving.
Upon returning stateside, Frank Gaylord enrolled in the School of Art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on the GI Bill. However, after two years of studying in Pittsburgh, Gaylord transferred to Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1950. Prior to graduating, Frank Gaylord married Mary Cornwell of Clarksburg, West Virginia, daughter of John and Mabel Cornwell.
In 1951, Frank and his wife Mary moved to Barre, Vermont where Frank became an apprentice stonecutter at the E.J. Bachlender Company honing his skills carving gravestones, markers, and other assigned projects. Gaylord eventually struck out on his own and in time made his mark in the field. Among the many commissions he recieved were monuments celebrating historical figures including Presidents Calvin Coolidge and John F. Kennedy, Boston Pops conducter Arthur Fiedler, state governors, and playwright William Shakespeare. Other notable works include many religious sculptures and sculptural tributes to the American pioneer family and Little League baseball.
Gaylord's most ambitious work, "The Column," more collectively known as the Korean War Memorial is located near the Lincoln Memorial, on the west end of the National Mall. The memorial was many years in the making, with progress hampered by competing interests resulting in a final monument composed of disparate if not conflicting elements. Frank Gaylord's Column features nineteen soldiers representing an ethnic cross-section of America and all branches of the United States military. Cast in stainless steel and standing slightly over seven feet tall, the figures are on patrol, interspersed among juniper bushes and polished granite slabs representing the landscape and agrarian features of the Korean pennisula. Also featured at the memorial are: a 30 feet in diameter Pool of Remembrance; a United Nations Wall honoring the 22 countries that contributed to the war effort; and a Murla Wall, 164 feet in length and composed of more than 2,400 photographic images. Dedicated in 1995 by President Bill Clinton on the 42nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War, the memorial was the culmination of Frank Gaylord's career although it continued to trouble him in his later years.
A 2002 commemorative stamp issued by the United States Postal Service prompted Gaylord to sue the United States for copyright infringement in 2006. Over the course of the next eight years, Gaylord and the United States went back and forth in the court system before finally reaching a verdict in 2015 in favor of Frank Gaylord.
The Gaylord Family hails from Ardeley, Hertfordshire, England with Edward Gaylor leaving the European country sometime between the years of 1720 and 1750. A Revolutionary War soldier Edward was married to Barbara Nichols and together they had one son, John Gaylor, who was born in Virginia in 1772. The first generation of Gaylords had arrived on the North American continent, and six generations later spawned the sculptor Frank C. Gaylord. Other notable Gaylords includes James Irwin Gaylord, Civil War veteran and Richard C. Gaylord, World War I veteran.
Over the course of Frank and Mary Gaylord's marriage they had three children together. Their first, John Richard Gaylord, was born in 1954, but unfortunately died eight years later in 1962 of congential heart disease. Their second and third, Leanne and Victoria, joined the family shortly following the death of their brother. Leanne met and married John Triano, beginning a family of their own. John quickly became a part of Frank's studio and assisted with the financial and legal aspects of the business. Frank Gaylord passed away in March of 2018 at the age of 93. He was preceeded in death by his wife in 2005.
*adapted from West Virginia and Regional History Center Newsletter vol. 35, no.1-2, 2020 and Ancestry.com, accessed Feburary 09, 2021 02/09/2021, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/.
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Frank Gaylord, Sculptor, Papers, A&M 4501, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Papers of Frank Gaylord (1925-2018). Frank Gaylord was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia in 1925 earning national recognition for his work on the Korean War Memorial located in Washington, D.C. A large portion of this collection consists of photographic material documenting the sculptures of Frank Gaylord, including his work on the Korean War Memorial, among others. To a lesser extent, the collection also includes materials regarding Gaylord's financial and legal matters including Gaylord v. the United States, financial ledgers, and price listings. Also featured in the collection are audiovisual materials related to Gaylord's art and family life, and other material.
Series include:
Series 1. Biographical Information (Box 1)
Series 2. Photographs (Box 2-Box 7)
Series 3. Correspondence (Box 8)
Series 4. Printed Materials (Box 9; Box 10, Folders 1-20)
Series 5. Guestbooks (Box 10, Folders 21-23)
Series 6. Audio/Visual Materials (Box 10, Folders 24-26)
Series 7. Financial/Legal (Box 11)
Series 8. Writings (Box 12)
Series 9. Scrapbooks (Box 13)
Series 10. Oversized (Box 14-Box 18)
Series 12. Digital Files
Series 13. Addendum of 2020, Slides (Box 7)
There is no longer a Series 11 or Box 19. This content, which included various National Sculpture Review publications dated from 1954-2002, has been deaccessioned.
Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.
Includes obituaries, resumes, family memorabilia, motion picture documentary, and home movie (1943).
Photographic collection of Frank Gaylord. Contains photographs, slides, and negatives of Frank Gaylord with family and friends, working in his studio, amid his sculptures, as well as eleven photo albums of his sculptures, among others.
Also includes substanial photographic documentation of the Korean War Memorial located in Washington, D.C.
Photo albums in this series include:
Photo Album 1. Personal photos of family and friends, Box 2 - folders 47-57
Photo Album 2. Family photos, Box 2 - folders 58-59
Photo Album 3. Personal photos of family and friends, 1970s-2000s, Box 2 - folders 60-79
Photo Album 4. Personal photos of family and friends, 1940s-2000s, Box 2 - folders 80-100, Box 3 - folders 1-27
Photo Album 5. Trip to England, 1988, Box 3 - folders 28-43
Photo Album 6. Trip to Florida, 1970s-1990s, Box 3 - folders 44-55
Photo Album 7. "Richie" album, Box 3 - folders 56-60
Photo Album 8. Trip to Rio de Janeiro, Box 3 - folder 61
Photo Album 9. Photos from Barre Opera House Honors award, 1995 November 10, Box 3 - folders 62-69
Photo Album 10. Portfolio of sculpltures, Box 3 - folders 70-139
Photo Album 11. Cornwell family photos, 1900s-1990s, Box 3 - folders 148-174
Photographs of Sculptures, Box 4 - folders 1-48
Photographs of Religious Sculptures, Box 4 - folders 89-107
Korean War Memorial Album 1. Installation/Construction of Memorial, 1990s, Box 5 - folders 46-56
Korean War Memorial Album 2. Clay Models, 1988-1995, Box 5 - folders 57-63
Korean War Memorial Album 3. Various photos, 1980s-1990s, Box 5 - folders 65-74
Korean War Memorial Album 4. Various photos, Box 5 - folders 75-83
Korean War Memorial Album 5. Various photos, Box 5 - folders 84-93
Korean War Memorial Album 6. Panoramic Album 1, 1990s-2000s, Box 5 - folder 94
Korean War Memorial Album 7. Panoramic Album 2, 1990s-2000s, Box 5 folder 95
Korean War Memorial Album 8. Various photos, Box 5 - folders 96-104, Box 6 - folders 1-13
Korean War Memorial Album 9. Various photos, Box 6 - folders 14-23
Korean War Memorial Album 10. Various photos, Box 6 - folders 24-31
Korean War Memorial Album 11. Various photos, Box 6 - folders 32-47
Contains photos of Franky and Mary Gaylord, their daughters Leanne and Victoria, their son Richie who passed away in 1962, Leanne's husband John Triano and their children. Also includes photos of extended family memebers, friends of the family, the Korean War Memorial statues, and various gatherings/celebrations. Ranges from Box 2, Folder 15 - Box 2, Folder 22.
Consists of photographs of Frank and Mary Gaylord's 1988 trip to England. Photographs mainly center around the visiting of various tourist sites located around England, including but not limited to sites in London, Glastonbury and Bath. Ranges from Box 2, Folder 29 - Box 2, Folder 46
Contains photos of Frank and Mary Gaylord and their children, predominately from the 1940s-1970s. Contains many photos of the Gaylord children throughout their childhood into adulthood. Ranges from Box 2, Folder 47 - Box 2, Folder 57
Album consists of photographs from Frank and Mary Gaylord's childhood up through to their marriage in 1948. Album also contains a newspaper clipping announcing the marriage of Frank Gaylord and Mary Cornwell. Ranges from Box 2, Folder 58 - Box 2, Folder 59.
This album has been digitized for preservation. See Series 12. Digital Files.
Album contains photos of Frank and Mary Gaylord and their three children, Richie (d. 1962), Leanne, and Victoria. Also contains photos of extended family and friends of the Gaylord family. Ranges from Box 2, Folder 60 - Box 2, Folder 79.
Family photo album containing photographs of Frank and Mary Gaylord's early marriage, vacations, family and friends, later years, etc... Ranges from Box 2, Folder 80 - Box 3, Folder 27.
Album contains photos from Frank and Mary Gaylord's 1988 trip to England. Ranges from Box 3, Folder 28 - Box 3, Folder 43.
Album consists of photos of the Gaylord family vacationing in Florida. Photos include images of Frank and Mary Gaylord along with friends. Ranges from Box 3, Folder 44 - Box 3, Folder 55.
Album contains photographs of Frank and Mary Gaylord and their son Richard "Richie" Gaylord (d. 1962). Ranges from Box 3, Folder 56 - Box 3, Folder 60.
Album consists of photogrpahs from the November 10, 1995 ceremony honoring Frank Gaylord for his Korean War Veterans War Memorial sculpture, held at the Barre, Vermont Opera House. Album also contains photos from the Korean War Memorial dedication in Washington, D.C. and materials relating to Frank Galoyrd's honorary degree from Norwich University. Ranges from Box 3, Folder 62 - Box 3, Folder 69.
Album 10 contains over 100 photographs of Frank Gaylord and his sculptures. Folder 70 contains a key which labels each photograph with an item number that corresponds to a number listed on the key. The photographs feature Gaylord's religious sculptures and military pieces (including the Korean War Memorial), among others, and are scattered throughout the album with no discernable pattern. Ranges from Box 3, Folder 70 - Box 3, Folder 139.
Images focus on the sculptures of Frank Gaylord being displayed at the Studio Arts Palace (SPA) between May 20, 2015 and June 5, 2015. Ranges from Box 3, Folder 143 - Box 3, Folder 147.
Contains family photos of Mary Gaylord and her family. The album includes a few photos of Frank Gaylord with the family but mostly concentrates on the Cornwell family and their home in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
This album has been digitized for preservation. See Series 12. Digital Files.
From the range Box 4, Folder 1 - Box 4, Folder 48 are photogrpahs of individual, identified sculptures created by Frank Gaylord throughout his career.
Contains photographs of unidentified sculptures by Frank Gaylord.
Folders 54 and 55 contain photos of sculptures done by Frank Gaylord, focusing on a military theme.
Album consists of various images of Frank Gaylord's sculptures including the Korean War Memorial in various stages of its completion. Other sculptures featured include the South Carolina Korean War Memorial, Taunton, Massachusettes Korean War Memorial, William Penn statue, and others. Ranges from Box 4, Folder 56 - Box 4, Folder 88.
From the range of Box 4, Folder 89 - Box 4, Folder 107 are photographs of religious themed sculptures done by Frank Gaylord throughout his artistic career.
Box 5, Folder 1 - Box 5, Folder 20 contains images of the Korean War Memorial figures sculpted out of clay before being finalized and cast in stainless steel for the monument.
Box 5, Folder 21 - Box 5, Folder 31 contains images of the Korean War Memorial figures cast in stainless steel before being installed at their final location at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Korean War Memorial Installation photo album 1 contains photographic material regarding the installing/construction of the Korean War Memorial located in Washington, D.C. Photographs detail the transporting of the sculptures, construction of the memorial, and the fitting of the sculptures along with photographs of the semi-finished exhibit.
Correspondence to and from Frank Gaylord and the Gaylord family. The series mostly includes legal correspondence along with sympathy and greeting cards. The series also contains professional and personal correspondence to a lesser extent, including letters in Box 8, Folder 8 between Gaylord and fellow artist and veteran Jack Garver.
Legal correspondence revolves around the case Gaylord v. U.S. wherein Frank Gaylord sued the United States for copyright infringement after having a photograph of his sculpture, "The Column," more commonly known as the Korean War Memorial, used in a commemorative stamp issued by the United States Postal Service in 2003.
The Printed Materials Series contains material related mostly to the works of Frank Gaylord. Includes various publications detailing the sculptures and life of Frank Gaylord, sketches and art reproductions, material regarding the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., along with personal items such as calendars, studio brochures, travel brochures, etc. Images of Gaylord's sculptures can be found in Box 9, Folder 20 - Box 9, Folder 69.
Images of sculptures created by Frank Gaylord. Ranges from Box 9, Folder 20 - Box 9, Folder 69.
From Box 10, Folder 17 - Box 10, Folder 20, the series contains duplicate material already featured in the collection. These materials include publications by F.C. Gaylord Studios, National Park pamphlets regarding the Korean War Memorial, and others.
Contains guestbooks from Frank Gaylord's studio and art exhibitions.
Contains two VHS films on the Korean War Memorial as well as a CNN report on the Memorial.
The Financial/Legal series mostly includes items that relate to Gaylord v. U.S., wherein Frank Gaylord sued the United States for copyright infringement over the use of a photograph of his sculpture, "The Column," in a commemorative stamp issued by the United States Postal Service. There are also various financial documents such as ledgers, price lists, and invoices.
Contains writing by Frank Gaylord and others, mostly in relation to the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Other items featured in the series are essays and speeches written by Frank Gaylord, and a dissertation mentioning Frank Gaylord, among others.
Contains a scrapbook of the Korean War Memorial detailing the progress of the Memorial from concept to construction (folder 13). Also contains photocopies of original scrapbook (folders 1-12).
Oversized materials contains images of sculptures and printed matierals such as flyers, advertisements, publications, and newspaper clippings regarding Frank Gaylord's life and work. The series also contains oversized materials from various personal scrapbooks and photo albums detailing Frank Gaylord's personal life and his work on the Korean War Memorial, and obituaries for Mary and Frank Gaylord.
This series contains digitized files of two personal photo albums from the Gaylord family.
This file contains 5 TIFF images scanned from a personal photo album from the Gaylord family. Files consist of photographs of Frank and Mary Gayord's childhood up through to their marriage in 1948. Also includes a scan of a newspaper clipping detailing the marriage of Mary Cornwell to Frank Gaylord. The original content dates to 1928-1948.
See Series 2. Photographs, Box 2 - Folder 58.
This file contains 56 TIFF files of a personal photo album of Mary Gaylord and her family. These files include a few photos of Frank Gaylord with the Cornwell family but mostly concentrates on the Cornwell family and their home in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The original content dates from ca. 1900s-1990s.
See Series 2. Photographs, Box 3 - Folders 148-174.
This series includes slides of various sculptures and sketches of Gaylord's work. We believe these were collected and used by Frank Gaylord for planning and proposals. The original binder in which these slides were kept was labeled "1 Small Military Sculptures __ Prayer; No. 5; No. 15; Winter Soldier; Blowing Ponchos; Vietnam Grief; Sumter; Deleverance" [sic]