Bronx County Courthouse
Joe created this sculptured group in limestone. It is on the Bronx County Courthouse, also known as the Mario Merola Building, in New York City. Joe’s note on the back of a photo by DeWitt Ward reads: ‘Bronx County Court House’ and ‘located on Walton Ave side of street Concourse Village’.
Another photo of the grouping is labeled “Justice” by Joe with this description: “Limestone panel 12’ x 18’ on the city and Municipal Court House Lafayette St. N.Y.C. William Laxx and Matthew Delxxx, architects.” The architects names are not legible. The building was constructed between 1931 and 1934.
Some descriptions credit Joe entirely for this work but a history of the Mario Merola Bronx County Building has this paragraph; “The tall rectangular block sculptures by Adolph A. Weinman are largely allegorical, paying homage to the history of government by law through the ages, beginning with Egypt, Greece, and Rome. They were created with the assistance of collaborators and sculpted by Weinman and his associates, Edward F. Sanford, George Snowden and Joseph Kiselewski.”
With further study we’ll discover Joe’s relationship with Weinman who was older than Joe and a renowned architectural sculptor.
Who We Are
This website exists because Barb Noland, with support from her family, spent countless hours over many years researching, visiting, and photographing the work of her great uncle Joe Kiselewski. After she did all of that she meticulously organized her work. Barb knew her uncle Joe. He lived in Browerville when she was a young woman. She visited him at his apartment and studio and had dinner at restaurants with Uncle Joe, her mother, and other family members. For Barb, Joseph Kiselewski is not only an internationally renowned sculptor but a beloved, somewhat elderly, family member who dressed nattily and held Central Minnesota waitresses to the standards of service he was used to in New York and Paris. But he was always the sculptor, seeing beauty and possibility in form. “He told me that he’d like to sculpt me,” Barb recalls, stilled flattered years later. “He said he liked my wrists.”
Barb’s work with Joseph Kiselewski’s sculptures is described more completely in this article from Senior Perspective newspaper. Thanks to Barb Noland, the memory of Uncle Joe Kiselewski goes on.
Barb with the bust of Sylvanus Thayer, 2016
At Parkchester in the Bronx, 2016
Barb at the Bronx County Courthouse, 2016
The Hall of Fame for Great Americans featuring Joe's Sylvanus Thayer sculpture. Photo by Remo Constantine, 2016
On August 10th, 2020, Barb and her family had a historical marker installed in front of Joe's scultpures at Christ the King church in Browerville, MN.
Although Tim King never met Joe Kiselewski he is inspired by what he’s learned about this hard working, creative, and tenacious man. Tim wrote most of the text at this web site. He is a journalist, author, and former newspaper editor and publisher. In addition to this website he has
researched and published two articles about Joseph Kiselewski in collaboration with Barb Noland and American Heritage Bank.
Colin King designed the website. In addition to being the designer for this website, he was the art director and designer for the monthly bilingual newspaper La Voz Libre for ten years.
For this website, Jan King photographed Joe Kiselewski’s sculptures that are in the American Heritage Bank exhibit as well as numerous drawings, miniature sculptures, and medals from a private collection. Among Jan’s many other projects has been a fifteen year monthly assignment for The Land magazine called Back Roads. She was also the photographer for La Voz Libre for ten years.