Beethoven Statue
This statue of Beethoven was sculpted by Thomas Crawford in Munich in 1855.
It was purchased and brought to Boston by Charles C. Perkins, of the Handel and Haydn Society in 1855. After a brief period at Boston’s Athenaeum, the statue was installed in the Boston Music Hall. It remained there until the closing of the hall in 1899. Owned by the Handel and Haydn Society, the statue was subsequently moved to the Boston Public Library. Finally in 1903, the statue was moved to New England Conservatory’s new building, Jordan Hall. The statue remained there on loan, until 1951, when Handel and Haydn formally donated the statue to NEC, marking the 75th anniversary of the Alumni Association. To learn more about the statue and its history, view this slideshow.
Archival Collection
One folder containing a history of the statue, related correspondence and a few photographs
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Access to this collection is by appointment with the Archivist. There are no restrictions pertaining to this collection. Permission to publish is granted by the Archivist. Citation should read: NECA 22.1. Beethoven Statue Collection, New England Conservatory Archives, Boston, MA.
This one folder contains correspondence, documents and photographs detailing the history of the Beethoven statue that resides in what was the lobby of the original main entrance to Jordan Hall on Huntington Avenue. The bronze statue by sculptor Thomas Crawford was initially loaned to the Conservatory from the Handel and Haydn Society in 1903. In 1951, the statue was officially given to the Conservatory on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Alumni Association.