[Oe List ...] Iron Man

[Terry Bergdall]

Thanks, Marshall. Just after I sent my message to you, I sent a  
similar one to Aimee Hillard. Though she was not nearly as confident  
as you, the name she mentioned was also Jean Loomis. Maybe others on  
this listserv can add to the story.

For four years, 1980-1984, Pam and I lived on the second floor of the  
Community Center (a.k.a. Program Center, Sheet Metal Union Hall)  
overlooking the 5th Ave triangle. The Iron Man statue had long been on  
the site by that time. Twice I remember cars running into it in the  
middle of the night. One was after a gang related incident:  both the  
passenger and driver were killed. It was some kind of set-up because I  
remember a large number of young men in the area milling around on  
foot immediately after the "accident" occurred. They were silent  
except for a strange kind of gang-related whistle or call (I can't  
remember which). I do remember it that was VERY eerie -- especially  
with dead bodies slumped in a crashed car that had bent the statue  
entirely out of shape. We called 911 but the entire crowd quietly  
melted away into the streets and alley before the police arrived.

The next morning Lela, as she had done so many times before, made  
arrangements for the Iron Man to be resurrected and stand tall once  
again.

Once more, Marshall, thanks for helping me to document this piece of  
history. I'm giving a printed copy of it to Marge Philbrook this  
morning:  I'm sure she has an appropriate place in the Archives to  
file it!

Terry Bergdall


On 3 Dec 2009, at 01:45, W. J. wrote:

> The sculptor was Jean Loomis, wife of Terry Loomis, who created it  
> in the summer of 1968, along with the 5th City wall mural (which you  
> can see in the 5th City movie) that was painted on the Order's long- 
> gone building on the corner of 5th Avenue and Trumbull--the home of  
> the Businessmen's Association at one point. I'm sure Jean built the  
> original 'model' (similar to the copies Lela presented to Mayor  
> Daley & others) and scaled it up for an industrial fabricator to  
> execute. For years the Iron Man 'stood' in the patio next to this  
> building. Finally, after we got 5th Avenue closed in front of the  
> shopping center, it was moved to its current site. Of course it kept  
> getting knocked down by reckless motorists, and then resurrected in  
> place, over and over, according to Lela.
>
> Marshall
>
> That's my story & I'm stickin' to it, but others may have more to add.
>
> The Iron Man picture on the cover of ICAI's DVD was shot by Nelson  
> Stover during the Living Legacy event timeframe. So it's relatively  
> recent.
> From: Terry Bergdall <bergdall at gmail.com>
> To: W. J. <synergi at yahoo.com>
> Sent: Wed, December 2, 2009 10:35:55 AM
> Subject: Iron Man
>
> Marshall,
>
> You may have seen that I suggested that the new Directory have a  
> picture of the Iron Man statute in Fifth City. This occasioned some  
> people asking question about the statute that I cannot answer. Maybe  
> you can help me. Your name came to mind as someone who might  
> remember these things.
>
> Some think that a young woman was the artist who created the statue.  
> Is this correct? Do you know her name? Do you know how we got the 10  
> foot statue made?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Terry
>
>
>
>
>
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