Picture perfect: Lock Tenders Tribute Monument is fully installed

Ben Joe, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

Sep. 2—LOCKPORT — A vision 10 years in the making was realized Friday with installation of the last six figures in the Lock Tenders Tribute Monument in the Lockport Locks.

Sculptor Susan Geissler was on site all morning, and into the afternoon, supervising the placement of five more lock tenders and a girl on the stone stairway, following the seating order and each person's position in the 1897 F.B. Clench photograph that has captured fancy across Lockport and beyond.

Now that the 14-figure public art work is in place, it is the largest outdoor cast bronze group of sculptures in Western New York, noted David Kinyon, chair of the Locks Heritage District Corporation. "We're really proud of that," he said.

For Geissler, completion is comparable to giving birth, though less painful of course.

"It's very emotional, it's like a swell of happiness. It's a 'wow!'" she said. "I never had children, but it must be like, after the pain is all over, it's like, 'aww.'"

Geissler was commissioned by the Locks Heritage District to create an art work that commemorates canal workers, using the Clench photograph. The work of designing, casting and installing each figure has been ongoing since 2016. The first three figures were put in place in 2020, and five more figures were added a year later.

Geissler had a lot of time to contemplate each person in the photo as she re-created them in bronze. Most intriguing to her in stage three were a particular lock tender and the seemingly out of place girl, Bessie Wagoner.

What Geissler discovered about 14-year-old Bessie, after using a photo app to get a more clear view of the girl's face, is that when the photo was taken 126 years ago, Bessie looked, and posed, very much like an annoyed teen.

"On the photograph I was using, it was softer," she said of Bessie's visage.

Geissler also connected with lock tender Michael Riley, laughing as she confessed, "I had a crush on his great great great nephew in high school."

Ultimately, Geissler said, she is happy with the work she has done.

"I have a feeling of joy. I really became attached to this piece," she said.

The Lock Tenders Tribute Monument is open to the public beginning today. Formal dedication of the completed monument is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 16.