iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Thank you!! Yeah, at about the same time I dug that up out of the Mayo's digital archive. It looks like he is very likely the sculptor, though I still have... questions about the Ellerbe piece in particular. It's just so different than the others.

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

He's just, you know, both his reliefs and his works in full round have more finish than the Ellerbe piece does, regardless of the style. I dunno. I'll email the archivists and ask, but I suspect this may genuinely be one of those things where they can't really know.

Christopher Columbus by Carlo Brioschi. Toppled on June 10, 2020.

Statue of Floyd B. Olson by Carlo Brioschi.

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Maybe someone working under him did it, but it was attributed to him anyway? It's just not as good as the other two, nor as good as other examples of his work. There are some stylistic commonalities between his work on the Plummer bronze door and the Ellerbe carving, but (??)

A portion of one of the Plummer building's bronze doors. Reliefs were sculpted by Charles "Carlo" Brioschi.

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I was able to find the archive documentation for the other two pieces., as well as other examples of Brioschi's work. Despite the attribution, I'm not sure I believe the Ellerbe carving was actually done by him. Maybe it's his, but incomplete?

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Update: you can search the Mayo Clinic's historical archives. Some of it is staff-only, but it appears the Ellerbe carving was done by sculptor Carlo Brioschi. If this is correct, the question remains: why is there no attribution to either Corwin *or* Brioschi in either museum? ar

archive entry detailing attribution of the Ellerbe carving.

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

maybe I will make an inept YouTube video

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

like what am I going to do with this information? fuck all

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

the archivist pointed me back to the Northwest Architectural Archives, which is at the main U of M campus. I'll try sending them an email and see how far I get. boy I wish I could get this kind of bee in my bonnet about normal shit

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Results thus far: -University of Minnesota @ Rochester: not allowed because I am not a student (fair) -Rochester Public Library: used their account to search newspapers.com . Info on Ellerbe firm, almost none on Corwin, 0 on Schwartz/carvers -Historical Society: spoke to archivist. No leads.

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Done with diagnostics until 8, so I’m gonna hit up the public library and see if I can find any more info

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

All three pieces do comparatively volumetric faces vs. figures, but the Ellerbe figure is much flatter on all fronts and, dare I say, perhaps not as “good”

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

There are a few possibilities in terms of who is responsible for carving these, and if I have time I might have luck checking Rochester’s library. I mention this because I strongly suspect the Plummer and Schwartz carvings are by the same hand, while the Ellerbe carving is not

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

From what little I’ve been able to find on my own, there’s a significant likelihood the draftsman for these pieces is one Ray Corwin sah-archipedia.org/buildings/MN...

sah-archipedia.org

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

They told me a centennial book is coming out in 2028, so they’re in the middle of photographing and sourcing a bunch of that stuff right now. I just want to see that artist’s name where it belongs.

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

It’s on the 15th floor. I don’t have access. Maybe I can OH heck. Okay. I was in the middle of that and ran into some archivists going up the elevator. They didn’t know off the top of their heads (makes sense) but one of them gave me a business card and told me to email. Progress.

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Did they hate this man? Image identification in this gallery stops at column 59, and these would be either 60 or 0. What the heck. Is there an archive over here

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

These are almost certainly by the same artist. But WHO

Two stone carvings in a similar style as previous; Thomas F. Ellerbe (left) cradles the Plummer building itself in his right arm. He looks down while massaging his brow in concentration. He appears to be wearing a toga, with an unidentified cloth item over the forearm cradling the building. Garfield Schwartz (right) wears a button up shirt with the collar open and sleeves rolled up. He assesses what appears to be plans or instructions. His entire body is cramped; he lies on his back with his knees thrust upward so he fits in the square frame.

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The museum docents DO NOT know who made this. It lacks attribution. I have been sent across the street to find out… at the other museum

This building was in part designed by Dr. Henry Plummer, the man from the relief.

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Said in a fucked up voice: “BABY ROOTH”

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The people near me: “Bailey? If you name a girl Bailey, she’s gonna either be a stripper or an alcoholic!” I love listening in on people’s conversations. this shit is the best

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I love humans, welcome to the skinner box

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

told me he just got out of lockup then told me he lied about it lmao

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

keeps telling me his sons are outside waiting for him in a benz. Dude! Go out there!!! quit makin ya boys wait

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

have inadvertently acquired a insecure drunken new braunfels native

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I wish this place had mozz sticks. I ate the jalepeno bread. It was alright

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

downside is they got nothing to eat but 12 inch frozen pizza and jalepeno bread

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I would hang out at this dive all the time if I lived here

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welcome 2 my skinner box @heysawbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

this place is great. -playing El Paso by Marty Robbins -cannot make an old fashioned but they did put oj in maker’s mark. bartender: “drinkable” -someone is dank in here and this dude just turned around to me like “ARE YOU SMOKING… MARI JU A NA???”

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