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FRED J. WISEMAN DAY COMMITTEE Bill Soberanes, Chairman C. Edward Mannion, Vice-Chairman Chris Mannion, Secretary Bill Connors Ed Fratini John Nolan William Perry THE FRED J. WISEMAN DAY COMMITTEE WISHES TO EXPRESSS ITS APPRECIATION TO THE FOLLOWING: Petaluma City Council … Helen Putnam, Mayor Kenneth J. Colin, Vice-Mayor Albert L. Battaglia, Councilman David W. Brainerd, Councilman Jack W. Cavanagh, Jr., Councilman Philip L. Joerger, Councilman Robert S. Lipman, Councilman … for approving the City's financial contribution toward the plaque and monument. Robert H. Meyer … … for co-ordinating the program. Sonoma-Marin Fair Board of Directors … A. P. Behrens, Sr., President Max Herzog, Vice-President I. A. Barlas Gene Benedetti A. J. Bianchi William Gnoss Robert Mackey Henry Tomasini … for co-operation in the use of the Fairground facilities. MONUMENT Rosa Estebanez, Sculptress... ...for design and execution of the plaque. Arthur F. Canavan, Manager, Sonoma-Marin Fair Association, and R. W. Shollenberger, Petaluma Park and Recreation Department Director... ...for construction of the monument. Interested citizens who contributed toward the construction of the monument. Fly-in Arrangements...Bill Connors, Petaluma Sky Ranch Band Arrangements...Petaluma Chamber of Commerce Transportation, Courtesy of Avis Rent-a-Car...Driven by American Airline Stewardesses Antique Auto and Aircraft display...Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Solesbee, Bill Connors SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THE NEWS MEDIA FOR CO-OPERATION WITH THE COMMITTEE IN PREPARING PUBLICITY FOR THE DEDICATION PROGRAM [[3 diamonds]] ABOUT THE MONUMENT DESIGN … AND THE ARTIST Rosa Estebanez, a resident of Petaluma, was commissioned by the City of Petaluma to design the Wiseman plaque and monument. The artist, born and educated in Cuba, fled to this country in 1960-arriving first in Miami, then on to Petaluma. A 1951 graduate of the Nationale Art School in Havana, Mrs. Estebanez was appointed Official Escultora (sculptress) for the Cuban Government, a position she held for eight years prior to the Castro regime. Many of her works remain in Cuba as she was responsible for the facades of many government buildings, objets d'art in parks, hospitals and other official buildings. In addition to holding a full-time position as a color photo finisher, she now teaches sculptoring in the Petaluma High School evening classes, exhibits her works in local art shows, and is planning a one-woman show in San Francisco. To create the Wiseman plaque and monument, the artist spent many hours studying all of the available photographs of the pilot as well as those of the plane he built and flew. Many sketches of both the subject and his plane were made before several were submitted to the Committee and the City Council for approval. When the artist received the approval of one of the sketches, she then set about recreating the sketch in bas-relief, molding the plane and the pilot in clay to prepare a 30" x 40" plaque. From the bas-relief, a plaster of paris cast was molded and the lettering set. The cast was then sealed with shellac and was ready for the foundry. Mrs. Estebanez chose foundryman Don Peterson of Sebastopol to cast the art work in bronze. A process known as "sandcasting" was used by Mr. Peterson for the plaque. After the final bronze cast was completed, it was necessary for the artist to clean and remove any excess particles, oxidize the bronze and have it mounted in the permanent base which is being dedicated today. 2 [[end page]] [[start page]] SOUVENIR PROGRAM FRED J. WISEMAN MONUMENT DEDICATION Kenilworth Park :: Petaluma, California Saturday, August 17, 1968 [[image - a line drawing of Fred J. Wiseman wearing a cap with goggles and with a biplane flying in the background]] [[caption]] FRED J. WISEMAN MADE ONE OF THE WORLD'S EARLY AIR MAIL FLIGHTS FEBRUARY 17-18, 1911. HE FLEW FROM PETALUMA'S KENILWORTH PARK TO SANTA ROSA AFTER BEING FORCED DOWN OVERNIGHT AT DENMAN FLAT. IT WAS THE FIRST RECORDED AIRPLANE FLIGHT SANCTIONED BY A LOCAL POST OFFICE AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. THE WISEMAN CRAFT IS PRESERVED IN THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM, WASHINGTON, D. C. Dedicated August 17, 1968 by the City of Petaluma Bill Soberanes, Chairman [[/caption]] "If a celebration commemorating my air mail flight is held, my choice of places would be Petaluma's Kenilworth Park, because that's where my flight originated."-So stated the late Fred J. Wiseman to Argus-Courier Columnist Bill Soberanes.
