Horseless Carriage (Model S Ford Children and Animals - Sunday Afternoon), Mold, [Plaster and Rubber]
Dublin Core
Title
Horseless Carriage (Model S Ford Children and Animals - Sunday Afternoon), Mold, [Plaster and Rubber]
Subject
Animal sculpture--20th century
Figure sculpture, American--20th century
Figure sculpture, American--20th century
Description
Horseless Carriage (Model 'S' Ford, Children and Animals, Sunday Afternoon)
Plaster "mother" mold, black rubber mold, plaster model. Written on mold is "Ford
Model S".
Fredericks carved the original limestone relief of this sculpture that was placed in the public lobby of the Post Office in River Rouge, Michigan in 1939. He received this commission as a result of an honorable mention in a section of Fine Arts Competition.
Because the automobile industry was the most important factor in the development of the Detroit area, the sculptor has chosen to depict one of the very early cars. The "horseless carriage," with its two occupants, speeds along, leaving a trail of dust and smoke. Two children and a dog run delightedly beside the car while pigs and chickens flee in terror.
The "mother" mold is made of plaster and is used to help keep the shape of the flexible rubber mold. The plaster "mother" mold has residue from the microcrystalline wax that's used to make wax models for the lost wax casting method. A didactic panel in the Sculptor's Studio explains the lost wax method of casting.
An image of this sculpture can be seen on page 36 in Marshall M. Fredericks, Sculptor.
Plaster "mother" mold, black rubber mold, plaster model. Written on mold is "Ford
Model S".
Fredericks carved the original limestone relief of this sculpture that was placed in the public lobby of the Post Office in River Rouge, Michigan in 1939. He received this commission as a result of an honorable mention in a section of Fine Arts Competition.
Because the automobile industry was the most important factor in the development of the Detroit area, the sculptor has chosen to depict one of the very early cars. The "horseless carriage," with its two occupants, speeds along, leaving a trail of dust and smoke. Two children and a dog run delightedly beside the car while pigs and chickens flee in terror.
The "mother" mold is made of plaster and is used to help keep the shape of the flexible rubber mold. The plaster "mother" mold has residue from the microcrystalline wax that's used to make wax models for the lost wax casting method. A didactic panel in the Sculptor's Studio explains the lost wax method of casting.
An image of this sculpture can be seen on page 36 in Marshall M. Fredericks, Sculptor.
Creator
Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998
Date
1939
Rights
Use of this image requires permission from the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum
Type
Sculpture
Relief Sculpture
Relief Sculpture
Coverage
University Center (Mich.)
Mold Item Type Metadata
Physical Dimensions
18" x 17" x 4"
Materials
Plaster
Rubber
Rubber
Catalog Number
1999.166.001
Object Location
Storage Room B - C2
Provenance
10/25/1999 gifted to MFSM
Files
Citation
Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998, “Horseless Carriage (Model S Ford Children and Animals - Sunday Afternoon), Mold, [Plaster and Rubber],” Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, accessed November 4, 2025, https://omeka.svsu.edu/items/show/5432.