Laran Bronze Explained

Laran Bronze is a fine art foundry in Chester, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1984 by Larry and Randy Welker in facilities built for the city's once-booming shipbuilding industry, the foundry has cast many monumental and significant sculptures, including many of the bronze components of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.^{[1] [2]} In 1985 or 1986, the foundry cast replicas of the hands of painter Andrew Wyeth; in 2019, one of these replicas sold at auction, along with a Wyeth painting, for $490,230.^[3]

The components cast at Laran for the WWII Memorial include four 18-foot columns, eight eagles with 10- to 12-foot wingspans, two 10-foot wreaths, and 24 plaques.

Other works cast at Laran Bronze include:

• Holodomor Memorial, Washington, D.C.^[4]
• Keys to Community, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania^[5]
• Gregor Mendel, Villanova University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Memorial, Arlington, Virginia^[6]
• Brigadier-General John Gibbon statue, Gettysburg battlefield, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• Sculptures on the Square, Charlotte, North Carolina^[7]
• Gem of the Lakes, 311 S. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois

Works

Title	Image	Artist	Year	Location	Coordinates	Material	Dimensions	Owner
American Pharoah		James Peniston	2017	Hot Springs, Arkansas	34.4836°N -93.0594°W	Bronze		Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort
Freedom		Zenos Frudakis	2000	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	39.9581°N -75.1664°W	Bronze	wide, high

Notes and References

1. Web site: Mastrull. Diane. February 2, 2015. The little-known source of America's bronze artwork in Chester. https://web.archive.org/web/20210227111250/https://www.inquirer.com/philly/business/20150202_The_little-known_source_of_America_s_bronze_artwork_in_Chester.html. February 27, 2021. 2020-09-24. inquirer.com. en-US.
2. Book: Brown, Stephen R.. Jewel of the Mall: The World War II Memorial. 2005. Stephen R Brown Publishing. 978-0-9766150-0-2. en.
3. Web site: From The Artist's Hands: Andrew Wyeth Painting & Cast Bronze Hands Sell For $490,230 At Leland Little. 2020-09-24. en-US.
4. News: Dietsch. Deborah K.. 2014-07-24. Local architect designs Washington memorial to victims of genocidal famine in Ukraine. en-US. Washington Post. 2020-09-24. 0190-8286.
5. Web site: Smith. Eric. 2007-10-03. Artist Spotlight: James Peniston. 2020-09-24. Uwishunu - Philadelphia Blog About Things to Do, Events, Restaurants, Food, Nightlife and More. en-US.
6. Web site: The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Memorial. 2020-09-24. CODAworx. en-US.
7. Web site: 2010-03-19. Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina. 2020-09-24. docsouth.unc.edu. en.