White rabbits

DEFINITION

Nickname given to six female sculpture assistants to Lorado Taft, who oversaw the construction of many of the largest sculptures at the 1893 Chicago Exposition. Most of these women had been students of Taft's at the Art Institute of Chicago. Their tasks included assisting Taft in the scaling up of wax mold sculptures by other artists. When Taft, sensing the need for assistance, told the Exposition's chief architect, Daniel Burnham, that he wanted to employ female assistants, Burnham reportedly said: "That was all right . . . to employ any one who could do the work . . . white rabbits if they will help out." (95) The 'white rabbits' were Janet Scudder, Bessie Potter Vonnoh, Enid Yandell, Julia Bracken, Caroline Brooks and Zulime Taft, Lorado's sister. Source: Charlotte Rubinstein, "American Women Artists", p. 94-95; Julie Aronson, "Bessie Potter Vonnoh, p. 20 (LPD)