Made of marble, this statuary bust of 19th Century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow showcases exquisite facial details sculpted by Master Artisan Angelino Vannette. The bust stands 25 inches tall and 16 inches wide at the shoulders and appears to be sculpted from three pieces of white marble (base, chest and head) that have been nicely fused together to give the appearance of being a single piece. Longfellow is wearing a suit jacket, button up shirt, vest and bow tie all of which show the same exquisite detail as the head and face. The side of the left shoulder is signed by the sculptor: "A. Vannette accademico fece 1902 firenze". Angelino Vannette was a distinguished sculptor who had his studio in Raoul Bigazzi, Florence. Along with the bust of William Shakespeare, this bust stood for years in the Carnegie (Pekin Public) Library, Illinois, entrance. The library was built with a $25,000 grant from The Carnegie Foundation circa 1902 and was demolished in 1972 after the new Pekin Public Library and Everett McKinley Dirksen Congressional Leadership Research Center was built. The bust was obtained through the library furnishings auction that was held around the time of the demolition. Photocopies of newspaper clippings concerning the auction and demolition and letters dated 1900 on German-American National Bank letter head concerning the Carnegie Foundation grant are included with the bust.

Excellent with a very attractive aging of the marble.