By Stan Lehr
11/25/2009
Again this holiday season, there's a bit of whimsy perched above downtown Indianapolis--a little bronze cherub born of the baby boom generation.
Listen:
The cherub first appeared atop the L.S. Ayres department store clock at Meridian and Washington Streets in 1947, but the story begins the year before.
American industry was retooling after World War II. With merchandise in short supply, the annual Ayres holiday catalog was a bit sparse. To fill empty space, commercial artists Virginia Holmes created the cherub.
He was so popular, the store commissioned Indianapolis artist and Herron Art School instructor David Rubins to create the bronze sculpture to watch over shoppers.
There was an outcry when the creation first failed to show in 1992; the new owners had him in storage in St. Louis. The May Department Stores agreed to donate the cherub to the City of Indianapolis. And now, Indianapolis Downtown Inc. promises that he'll be up there for many years to come.
The cherub is making an additional appearance this year as a limited edition, gold-on-brass ornament to raise money for the Easter Seals organization. You can get yours at crossroads.easterseals.com.
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