The Journey of Cal's 'The Eagle': Soaring from Fort Worth to Seattle

The abstract sculpture 'The Eagle', a creation by American artist Alexander Calder, was quite a piece in downtown Fort Worth for a couple of decades. In 1972, it was commissioned by the Fort Worth National Bank for their new headquarters, a symbol of modernism nestled beside their glass tower. Made of colored sheet steel, 'The Eagle' was one of Calder's last creations before he bid farewell in 1976. Standing at 39 feet tall, 'The Eagle' was dedicated in 1972 and became Fort Worth's most recognized work of public art.

But in 1999, the statue found a new home, making a switch through some real estate hustle. First, it flew to Philadelphia, then Seattle. The Seattle Art Museum, with a nudge from donors Jon and Mary Shirley, forked out $10 million for the sculpture in 2000. Now, it's the star of their Olympic Sculpture Park, standing tall under the shadow of Seattle's Space Needle. The folks who dropped the dollars and sent the artwork from Fort Worth remain a secret yet.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons