Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - August 17, 1986
By David M. Buchanan
Vigo County Historical Society

Camel Rider explores the unknown

Interest in the unknown and a willingness, perhaps almost a need, to explore than unknown has been a trait of our species since we first appeared.

Today our fascination with the unknown of Space is reflected in art, movies, books and television. The mysteries of the unknown ocean depths have given many men and women careers of exploration. For the "arm-chair traveler," those who experience the unknown through the vicarious experiences of books or pictures, the unknown of space and ocean depth remain a source of fascination.

Less than a century ago, the unknowns of our world were far more vast than space and ocean. Many areas of land had not been fully explored and the many cultures of humankind were enigmatic. The inhabitants of that time, both those who actually explored and their armchair followers, were as interested in the unknown as we are. Photo-books showing unusual customs and people were eagerly examined. Stereopticons (devises holding two identical photographs that, when held to the eyes, gave the illusion of three-dimensional pictures) were to be found in most parlors along with stacks of photos showing the ever-increasing discoveries of places and cultures from around the world.

This fascination with unknown cultures also was reflected in the arts. Any new discovery would be sure to trigger a reaction. Those of Pompeii and Herculean were mimicked in art and furniture throughout the Western World. When Napoleon’s armies returned from Egypt with their treasures of ancient Egyptian art and culture, those styles were soon reproduced and stylized in furniture and in art.

The Camel Rider, a sculpture that may be seen in the Victorian Parlor in the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, is a good example of sculpture reflecting the artist’s fascination with another unknown culture. It shows a man seated on his camel while both gaze out into the distance.

There is a Western influence in the man’s costume, or rather lack of it. Since the robes worn by the natives had the specific purpose of shielding their bodies from the rays of the sun, it is unlikely that any native would be draped in such a fashion as the Camel Rider. However, at that time Western sculptors and their patrons found it fashionable to show their subjects in heroic poses, often partially or completely nude. They also had a fascination with drapery and how it fell from the body. The Status of Liberty is a famous example of the draped body in Victorian sculpture.

This sculpture was cast from plaster. It probably was originally sculpted in clay or wax. A mold was made from the model. The liquid plaster was poured into the mold to form the finished piece which then was painted.

Often these pieces were used as source models. If an artist was commissioned to do a large sculpture he would make the finely detailed working model. The model could then be used to show the patrons exactly how the finished piece would look.

The model also could be used by workmen to make the larger sculpture. Workmen used calipers to get the exact measurements from the working model and then translated those figures into a large piece for the final sculpture. The larger pieces were riveted or welded together. Frederic Auguste Bartholdi used much the same technique to make the Statue of Liberty.

E. Stellmaiyer signed the Camel Rider but put no date on it. We assume from its style that it probably dates from the last quarter of the 19th century.

It stands on a plaster base that also reflects the influences of the Middle East. The base is held up by four pyramids from which three columns rise to meet the trifoliate opening popular in Moorish window design.

With the Camel Rider’s creation, two cultures, the Victorian and the Middle East, met. Knowledge of the unknown was given to the armchair viewer.

Now the Camel Rider is meeting a second set of cultures, the past and present. Visitors find him, his mount and his three-dimensional realism just as fascinating today as they did a century ago.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.