Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen is among a small handful of Central Park statues that have been buffed to a shine by young hands.
Since 1956, children have climbed all over the bronze portrayal of the beloved storybook author. Now the site of a summer storytelling program, the sculpture shows Andersen reading from The Ugly Duckling, with its title character—later revealed to be a swan—perched at his feet.
The statue was gifted in 1956 by the Danish-American Women’s Association to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Andersen’s birth. In the palm of Hans’s left hand, sculptor Georg Lober inscribed a quiet tribute: “In appreciation of the help and encouragement my wife Nellie has always given me affectionately, Georg, 1956.”
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Tags: History

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