Now on Exhibit: The People's Sculptor

The People's Sculptor: The Life and Works of John Rogers

In the Henry M. Fuller State Theatre Gallery in the Millyard Museum
Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Included with museum admission

John Rogers (1829 – 1904) was both a talented artist and successful businessman whose statuary "groups" were very popular in the late nineteenth century. Called “The People’s Sculptor”, he was the first American sculptor to mass produce his work and worked mostly in plaster to make his sculptures more affordable. He sold as many as 80,000 sculptures during his lifetime and effectively brought the art of sculpture to the American middle class. 

Rogers got his start as a sculptor in Manchester while working as a mechanic in the machine shop of the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company from 1850 to 1856.  In his free time, he began modeling with clay that he found near the Merrimack River in Hooksett, which led to his career as a sculptor. Towards the end of his career, he gave one of his finest works, a seated statue of Abraham Lincoln, to the City of Manchester as a gift. This exhibit celebrates Rogers and his art, and looks at the important influence Manchester had in his life. 

"The People's Sculptor" will be on display in the Millyard Museum's State Theater Gallery through September 30, 2022.