Sculptor Jakob Otto Schweizer (1863 - 1955)
​and his works at Gettysburg

Jakob Otto Schweizer

J. Otto Schweizer has more bronze portrait statues at Gettysburg than any other sculptor. Totaling seven, these were erected between the years of 1913 thru 1914.
They include:
President Abraham Lincoln, Pennsylvania State Memorial 1913
General David McMurtrie Gregg, Pennsylvania State Memorial 1913
General Alfred Pleasonton, Pennsylvania State Memorial 1913
General William Wells, South Confederate Ave. 1913
General John Geary, Culps Hill 1914
General Alexander Hays, Ziegler's Grove 1914
General Andrew Humphreys, Emmitsburg Road 1914

Lincoln, Gregg and Pleasonton were Schweizer's first three portrait statues at Gettysburg. All stand on the Pennsylvania State Memorial. The Van Amringe Company located in Boston Massachusetts would cast all eight of the bronze portrait statues on the Pennsylvania Memorial. These images are from an advertising booklet (c. 1914) showing some of the company's works at Gettysburg. 

Schweizer would also sculpt the General William Wells memorial located on South Confederate Avenue. On the front of this memorial is one of the most detail reliefs at Gettysburg. When Schweizer was preparing the clay model for the relief he would speak with members of the 1st Vermont Cavalry. His intention was to capture the scene as historically accurately as possible. Using these eye witness accounts the relief not only has great detail but each of the men in the scene were identified.

Bronze relief on the front of the Wells memorial. Each of the men on the relief were identified.

The last three statues modeled by Schweizer were to General's Geary, Hays and Humphreys. 

Brig. General John W. Geary

Brig. General Andrew Humpreys

Brig. General Alexander Hays

J. Otto Schweizer's works at Gettysburg. A short video.