FOREST PARK (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - A new stamp recognizes a woman who brought beauty to the western suburbs.
Her name is Mary Edmonia Lewis.
“Born in New York, 1844, she had a black father and Jibwis mother,” said Alexis Ellers, executive director of the Historical Society of Forest Park.
“(She was) Orphaned at an early age and she grew up in her mother’s tribe,” Ellers sid.
Lewis went on to become the first African American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition. She created a marble statue called “The Death of Cleopatra” for the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. It eventually made its way to a Chicago saloon and then a Forest Park race track park.
According to Ellers, the race track was converted to a nine hole golf course in 1920 and the sculpture was nearly forgotten before eventually being rescued.
“After $30,000 in restoration, they were able to get it to the Smithsonian where it is currently on display,” said Ellers.
Now, Mary Edmonia Lewis has been honored on a U.S. postage stamp so that she and her work will never be forgotten.
Listen to WBBM Newsradio live here.
Related
