Two brothers of modest upbringing left Barga in the 1870's and built a business in America that earned them fame and fortune during the country's immigrant wave. Emilio returned to Barga and built a large villa in Barga Giardino while Pietro Paolo stayed on in America and saw through the dream to decorate America's greatest schools, homes and a number of her museums.
From 1892 two generations of american students walked though classrooms and assembly halls decorated with Caproni Casts. American scultors such as Daniel Chester French, Cryrus Dallin, Loredo Taft and Leonard Craske sought the firms expertise in making plaster models for such national monuments as The Lincoln Memorial, The Appeal to the Great Spirit, Paul Revere and The Fisherman of Gloucester.
The exhibition now on in Barga Vecchia this week details the company and its work through displays including the largest collection of Caproni Cast Catalogues , family letters, period photographs and cast statues.
The objects and documents in the exhibition have been collected over a twenty year period by Max Griffin. You can hear him talking about his exhibition by clicking on the link below.
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hi just bought a house with a plaster art work above the fire place. dont know nothing about it. it has people and horses the bottom right hand corner says p.p. caproni & brother copyright 1905 boston ma wanting to know more and how to have some pieces fixed that are broke
Just two questions ?
1° Is that a permanent exhibition or just a temporary at Barga ?
Thank you for your answer, to be used on our International Directory (see Website)
2° What about the relation between the ancient Caproni Website, (not more online see or web page : p://www.plastercastcollection.org/fr/database.php?d=lire&id=7) and the Giust Gallery (http://www.plastercastcollection.org/fr/database.php?d=lire&id=169) ?
The exhibit in Barga was temporary and in addition to being the host of the exhibit, I am the author of the information on the website once recorded as http://www.capronicast.org and -.com. Should anyone have questions or comments regarding the history of PP Caproni & Brother, please contact me at rmax305@aol.com. For the Intl Directory, I should be considered as one of the authorities on the history of this firm.
Mike, regarding your casts, email photographs to me and I will get you information on the history of the originals.