Laran Bronze is a fine art foundry in Chester, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1984 by Larry and Randy Welker in facilities built for the city's once-booming shipbuilding industry, the foundry has cast many monumental and significant sculptures, including many of the bronze components of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.[1][2] In 1985 or 1986, the foundry cast replicas of the hands of painter Andrew Wyeth; in 2019, one of these replicas sold at auction, along with a Wyeth painting, for $490,230.[3]

The components cast at Laran for the WWII Memorial include four 18-foot columns, eight eagles with 10- to 12-foot wingspans, two 10-foot wreaths, and 24 plaques.[1]

Other works cast at Laran Bronze include:

  • Holodomor Memorial, Washington, D.C.[4]
  • Keys to Community, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[5]
  • Gregor Mendel, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania
  • The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Memorial, Arlington, Virginia[6]
  • Brigadier-General John Gibbon statue, Gettysburg battlefield, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
  • Sculptures on the Square, Charlotte, North Carolina[7]
  • Gem of the Lakes, 311 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois[1]

Works

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Notes

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  1. 1 2 3 Mastrull, Diane (February 2, 2015). "The little-known source of America's bronze artwork in Chester". inquirer.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  2. Brown, Stephen R. (2005). Jewel of the Mall: The World War II Memorial. Stephen R Brown Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9766150-0-2. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  3. "From The Artist's Hands: Andrew Wyeth Painting & Cast Bronze Hands Sell For $490,230 At Leland Little". Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  4. Dietsch, Deborah K. (July 24, 2014). "Local architect designs Washington memorial to victims of genocidal famine in Ukraine". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on December 6, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  5. Smith, Eric (October 3, 2007). "Artist Spotlight: James Peniston". Uwishunu - Philadelphia Blog About Things to Do, Events, Restaurants, Food, Nightlife and More. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  6. "The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Memorial". CODAworx. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  7. "Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina". docsouth.unc.edu. March 19, 2010. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
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