POWERGRAMS

15 ''Divinity of Light ' ELECTRA STATUE TURNS 90 YEARS OLD, REMAINS BIRMINGHAM BEACON BY BILL THARPE On May 10, 1926 a new statue was raised to grace the skyline of Birmingham. New York sculptor Edward Field Sanford Jr.'s "The Divinity of Light" was, after much difficulty, anchored securely atop the newly constructed Alabama Power Company General Office Building. "Miss Electra," as she soon came to be called, became the talk of the town. The building where Electra was installed was itself considered a work of art. The design was a departure from Birmingham's existing skyscrapers. Architects Warren, Knight & Davis drew from the new art deco architectural style, which was becoming popular throughout the country. This style made use of geometrically determined patterns and vertical lines. The shape of the new building narrowed as it rose through a series of step-backs ending in a sloped roof. Another design element of the building, which was common to the art deco style, was the use of sculpture and statuary as part of the design. Drawing from Greek, Renaissance and Mezzo American art forms, art deco celebrated the classic nude form. The use of these artistic forms made the Alabama Power building the earliest example of art deco design in Birmingham and one of the earliest in the United States. On May 10, 1926, a new statue was raised to grace the skyline of Birmingham. New York sculptor Edward Field Sanford Jr.'s "The Divinity of Light" was, after much difficulty, anchored securely atop the newly constructed Alabama Power Company General Office Building. "Miss Electra," as she soon came to be called, became the talk of the town. The building where Electra was installed was itself considered a work of art. The design was a departure from Birmingham's existing skyscrapers. Architects Warren, Knight & Davis drew from the new art deco architectural style, which was becoming popular throughout the country. This style made use of geometrically determined patterns and vertical lines. The shape of the new building narrowed as it rose through a series of step-backs ending in a sloped roof. Another design element of the building, which was common to the art deco style, was the use of sculpture and statuary as part of the design. Drawing from Greek, Renaissance and Mezzo American art forms, art deco celebrated the classic nude form. The use of these artistic forms made the Alabama Power building the earliest example of art deco design in Birmingham and one of the earliest in the United States.

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