Garden of Eden
Lucas, Kansas
Samuel
Dinsmoor was a pioneer in using concrete to express a unique blend of folk
religion and prairie Populism.
Begun around 1907, his composition, known as the Garden of
Eden, eventually included over 150 sculptures of people, flags, and trees,
which surrounded Dinsmoor’s home in the tiny farming community of Lucas,
Kansas.
In this detail from a political allegory, a woman clu5tching
her baby is threatened by an octopus-like monster which represents business
monopolies.
For more about Dinsmoor and his work, check out these pages:
http://www.missioncreep.com/tilt/dinsmoor.html
http://teen3.teen.k12.ks.us/kday/plan54/plan54c.html
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/KSLUCeden.html
http://www.washburn.edu/cas/art/cyoho/archive/KStravel/GardenOfEden/index.html
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/kansastourweb/lucas1/Attractions/LA%20GOE.htm
Text
and photos copyright, Susan A. Niles