Model of the Elephant for the Place de la Bastille, Augustus Charles Pugin, 1831

In 1810, a decree was signed allowing for the construction of a bronze elephant fountain in the place de la bastille, as proposed by napoléon. In an effort to commemorate his army, the emperor envisioned a fountain that discharged water from the elephant's trunk. A winding staircase was to be built inside one of the elephant's legs, and the total height of the structure was to measure 72 feet. Despite the grandeur of the project (as illustrated in the engraving shown here), military conflicts with spain interfered with the construction process, and napoléon's reign ended before the project could be completed. Date: 1831. Medium: engraving. Collection: Brown University Library. Model of the Elephant for the Place de la Bastille, 1831