Well, almost all.
Maurice Heullant’s signature is under the left foot of his sculpture of a Native American seated cross-legged behind the Louisiana State Capitol. The toes were missing for a few years and have been restored in recent years.
PERSONAL PHOTO OF ROBIN MILLER
“There was nothing in there about the Native American sculpture,” Grenier said. “And I wonder if that back part of the Capitol was added later.”
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So she contacted architect Perry Sims, senior manager of the Louisiana Office of Facility Planning & Control, who put her in touch with project manager Matt Baker, who referenced the original blueprints for the Capitol.
The stairwells and stateroom were indeed included in the original plans, but the space was empty, serving only as a fountain, when the Capitol opened its doors in 1932.
Jacques Berry made the same discovery. He is the policy and communications director of the state administration office and also researches sculpture.
The Louisiana State Capitol towers over the back stairs leading from its rear parking lot to Capitol Lake Drive. The Amerindian sculpture by Maurice Heullant occupies the space between the two staircases.
PERSONAL PHOTO OF ROBIN MILLER
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“The sculpture wasn’t there at first, but it was installed not long after,” he said. “We just can’t find much more than that.”
Nevertheless, there is a lot of information about Heullant, who was born in Paris in 1883 and later made his home in New Orleans, where he was not only a sculptor but also a well-known carpenter. He died there in 1981.
In fact, the New Orleans Times-Picayune archives include a photograph of Heullant receiving an award for “excellent craftsmanship” — specifically for woodcarving — from the American Institute of Architects. The photo does not have an exact date, but appears to have been taken in the 1950s or early 60s.
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A close-up of Maurice Heullant’s Native American sculpture behind the Louisiana State Capitol.
PERSONAL PHOTO OF ROBIN MILLER
Additional information from the Times-Picayune mentions that Heullant worked at Kohlmaier and Kohlmaier Cabinet Makers, where he taught the younger Ruppert Kohlmaier to make furniture. The company still operates in New Orleans.
But there’s still no mention of the elusive Native American sculpture.
The Tulane University Archives house Maurice Heullant’s papers in its Louisiana Research Collection, which includes his drawings, designs, and blueprints for certain architectural commissions between 1932 and 1966.
The entry for Heullant states that he worked in New Orleans from 1932 to 1978, meaning his commission for the sculpture came after the Capitol opened in 1932.
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