Thomas Fitzsimons

Giuseppe Donato

Artwork Details

Title
Thomas Fitzsimons
Artist
Giuseppe Donato (1881 – 1965)
Year
1946
Medium
Bronze, on granite base
Dimensions
Height 8'4″, width 2'6", depth 2' (base height 6'7″, width 4'2", depth 4'2")

Artwork Description

An Irish immigrant, Thomas Fitzsimons founded a major trading company that provided supplies and funds to American forces during the Revolutionary War. A signer of the U.S. Constitution, he served three terms in Congress. The Society of the Friends of St. Patrick erected this bronze memorial. The statue stands near Don Diego de Gardoqui in Sister Cities Park.

Artwork Credits

Commissioned by the Society of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick

Owned by the City of Philadelphia

Museum Without Walls

Voices:

FLORINDA DOELP is the granddaughter of Giuseppe Donato, who created the sculpture of Thomas Fitzsimons. She lives in Philadelphia in a home filled with work by her grandfather.

DANIEL ROLPH is an historian for The Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Senior Lecturer in history at Montgomery County Community College. He has studied the life of Don Diego de Gardoqui.

JOHN CARR was the Founding Principal Conservator of Materials Conservation, a preservation firm that was based in Philadelphia. He worked on the conservation of the sculpture of Don Diego de Gardoqui.

Producer: Alex Gallafent

Museum Without Walls: Don Diego de Gardoqui and Thomas FitzSimons