The location and photographs of a “lost” sculpture by famous sculptor Mary Edmonia Lewis, entitled Adoration of the Magi, have been found in a Baltimore church by student researcher, Holly Solano.

Until now, biographies of Lewis, the first African American sculptor on record, listed Adoration of the Magi as a lost commission for a Baltimore church, location unknown. The recipient church was the Chapel of St. Mary's, which was founded in 1873 on Orchard Street, Baltimore, as a mission of Mount Calvary church. In 1880, friends and members of Mt. Calvary's parish donated the church furnishings. Lewis delivered Magi sometime before March 11,1883. The news of Magi’s arrival spread across the country, reaching California by March 24th that same year.

Adoration of the Magi (shown here installed, circa 1886) is a large, semi-circular bas-relief marble sculpture about 5 feet in diameter. Its style is similar to the 1874 panels of Lewis’ Hygieia. The three wise men are on the [proper] right, facing baby Jesus, who appears on the [proper] left with Mary and Joseph. The wise men are depicted as Caucasian, Asian, and African, with the African wise man most prominent.

In 1947, a fire completely destroyed the church in a few hours. A new church was rebuilt on the Orchard Street site. The congregation moved to its current address on Walbrook Avenue in July 1959 due to highway demolition, and became an independent parish called the Episcopal Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. It is fortunate for the art community that photographic evidence and other documents about the sculpture survive and are maintained by the church.

Upon visiting the church in January 2011, researcher Holly Solano was introduced to the only known photos of the sculpture by parish administrator Leatrice Curtis. Now that Magi’s location has been identified, perhaps additional photos and details will surface from heirloom family photos and church events.

If you have additional information about this sculpture, please contact Holly Solano at:

artsnsmartscontact@gmail.com

Solano is a fine arts major at Montgomery College in Germantown, Maryland. Solano first discovered mention of Lewis in a Smithsonian Institution database while she was a student intern at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.