Hoover Dam Elevator Tower Bas-Reliefs (1936)
Public DisplayTwo series of five concrete bas-relief panels on Hoover Dam's elevator towers by Oskar J.W. Hansen, completed 1936.
Details
- Date
- 1936
- Medium
- Concrete bas-relief
- Location
- Nevada and Arizona elevator towers, Hoover Dam
- Status
- Public Display
- Period
- 1930s
Hansen’s Relief Panels on the Elevator Towers
Two of the four elevator towers at Hoover Dam carry concrete bas-reliefs designed by Oskar J.W. Hansen, completed in 1936. The Nevada tower depicts flood control, navigation, irrigation, water storage, and power. The Arizona tower depicts Native American figures.
The Arizona inscription reads: “Since primordial times, American Indian tribes and Nations lifted their hands to the Great Spirit from these ranges and plains. We now with them in peace buildeth again a Nation.”
The reliefs are part of Hansen’s sculptural program at Hoover Dam, which includes the Winged Figures of the Republic, the star map, and several other works across Monument Plaza.
Concrete Casting
Hansen used concrete rather than bronze for the elevator tower reliefs. The panels are large, mounted on exterior tower walls, and exposed to desert conditions.
What the Panels Depict
The Nevada reliefs illustrate the dam’s five purposes. The Arizona reliefs depict Native American figures with an inscription reflecting 1930s assumptions about national unity.
Viewing the Elevator Tower Reliefs
The bas-reliefs are on the two interior elevator towers, visible from the roadway across the dam’s crest. Accessible during any dam visit. They’re near the workers memorial plaque and zodiac compass.