Of all the statues in Denver, have you noticed the one of the three children in a shoe? It’s the Wynken, Blynken and Nod Statue. It’s more than just a statue. It is a portal into a world of childhood dreams.
The Wynken, Blynken and Nod Statue depicts a scene from Eugene Field’s 1889 poem “Dutch Lullaby”. Field was a one-time Denver resident. The statue shows Wynken, Blynken, and Nod rowing a wooden shoe through water. Wynken is the larger boy at the front with a paddle. Blynken is a little girl behind Wynken with her arms around his neck. Nod is a tiny baby nodding sleepily in the back.
Mabel Landrum Torrey created an early version of the Wynken, Blynken and Nod sculpture before 1918. After Torrey exhibited the sculpture in Chicago, she presented it to Mayor Robert Speer. He loved it. The mayor commissioned her to sculpt one in marble.
The resulting “Wynken, Blynken and Nod Fountain” was dedicated in 1919 in Denver’s Washington Park. The statue is based on Field’s poem “Dutch Lullaby”. It has remained a major Denver landmark ever since.
The Wynken, Blynken and Nod Statue was originally built as a fountain in 1918. It was on the western edge of Washington Park. It was later relocated near the Eugene Field House. Mabel Rivers Landrum Torrey studied sculpture in Chicago in 1912.
The Wynken, Blynken and Nod Statue won awards. It was commissioned by Denver Mayor Robert W. Speer in 1918. It portrays a scene from Eugene Field’s 1889 poem, “Dutch Lullaby”.
Wynken is at the front of the shoe. Blynken stands behind Wynken with arms around Wynken’s neck. Nod is the smallest of the three. He is at the back of their boat.
Eugene Field wrote over 500 poems and stories for children. This includes Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
The statue is in Washington Park. The sculpture sits on an oval-shaped cement base. The Wynken, Blynken and Nod Statue was renovated in 1993.
Mabel Landrum Torrey’s artwork was exhibited in Chicago. Her awards include the Wynken, Blynken and Nod Fountain in Denver, CO.
In 1938, Senator Fred W. Bailey commissioned a replica of the Colorado statue. It was presented to his hometown of Wellsboro, Pennsylvania in memory of his wife Elizabeth Cameron Bailey.
Elizabeth died in 1937. Fred then commissioned the Wynken, Blynken & Nod statue replica. It was erected in their hometown, in memory of Elizabeth.
The Wellsboro Lions Club financed a wrought iron fence around the fountain in 1950. The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital erected a plaque with the poem in 1976.
The statue was inspected by a monument expert from Gettysburg National Park in 1989. He declared that the cracks were the result of the casting process. After a chemical bath and a fresh coat of wax, the statue was rededicated for its 51st birthday.
So, as you gaze upon the Wynken, Blynken and Nod Statue, remember the dreams of childhood. Remember the poem that inspired it. Remember the artist who brought it to life. It’s a piece of Denver’s heart.