To brother, with love

Rameshinder Singh Sandhu

Zest runs high in the words of tour guides as they daily introduce their large groups to the famed Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain in Chicago’s Grant Park that beautifully overlooks Lake Michigan in front and spectacular skyscrapers behind it. Not just because it is one of the world’s largest decorative fountains but also because of its nostalgic and inspiring story.

Donated to the city on August 26 in 1927 by Kate Buckingham in the memory of her late brother Clarence, who was also an ardent art lover like her, she decided to give birth to this fountain.

Covering enormous area, the very first glimpse makes it clear that it rolls out a quintessentially European allure. Thanks to Kate’s frequent trips to various pockets of Europe, where she admired the huge artistic public fountains and whenever she narrated the charm those fountains carried to her brother, he always got thrilled. As she had drawn major inspiration for it from Bassin De Latone fountain at the Versailles Palace near Paris, she roped in Beaux arts architect Edward H. Bennet for the overall design and French sculptors Marcel F. Loyau for the statues surrounding its basins.

Entrancingly, it also connects one with local geography as its main basin represents Lake Michigan while four pairs of sea horses (statues) scattered in four different corners of the basin symbolise four states (Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana) surrounding the lake. And, this intrigues many.

The fountain turns into action with commencement of every hour from 8 am to 11 pm (April to October), its every show lasts for nearly 20 minutes. Its centre jet — the cynosure shoots up to 150 feet in the air but it starts with small sprays and finally takes off with participation of all 134 jets dotted all around. Within minutes, its grandiosity exceeds expectations of all — be it young or the old.

As the sun leaves and moon takes over, the shows are choreographed with 320 colourful lights and Mozart style music. It’s time when its grandiloquence soars and exciting more. The skyscrapers around also lit up by this time, making the scene more beguiling. That’s why in most Chicago art shops, you will find plethora of its paintings and posters at souvenir points besides the infinite post cards that also underline its eminence. Meanwhile, in 1959 when the city of Chicago hosted Queen Elizabeth II, her Chicago sightseeing with the officials started right with this memorial.

Lastly, since it is dedicated to a brother from a sister — many visitors, especially siblings, and sometimes even parents, can be seen throwing coins in its water to seek blessings to intensify love and bond among the siblings. Talk to any local about it and suggestion for this will come ebulliently running to their tongue while some may rightly add rare is such a love to be seen in the materialistic world of today. Happy Raksha Bandhan!