Statue of Walter Scott (New York City)

This bronze monument depicts the legendary Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott seated upon a rock with his faithful hound, Maida, resting by his side. It is a work by the renowned Edinburgh sculptor Sir John Steell, who modeled the figure after his own earlier marble sculpture of the author. The piece was a gift from the city's Scottish American community, who funded the project through newspaper advertisements and social clubs to mark the centennial of Scott's birth. When it was unveiled on November 2, 1872, a legion of Highlanders from the 79th Regiment and the Caledonian Club participated in the festivities, signaling the pride of immigrants eager to establish a cultural presence in New York City's growing public landscape.