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Carthay Circle Statue Stolen, Melting Feared

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[Image via Cinema Treasures.org]

The Inbox got hit with an urgent email concerning the heist of Dan, the statue at Carthay Circle. Writes a reader: "You've probably sat in traffic at the Crescent Heights/San Vicente light a million times,and maybe you noticed the life-sized bronze statue of the gold miner in the small "park" on the northwest corner? (City calls it a park; we know it better as a 'median with sporadic homeless guy with three shopping carts'). HE'S GONE!! SOMEONE STOLE HIM!...Breaks my heart to think he may be melted down and turned into rain gutters for a McMansion."

"He's been in the neighborhood since the early 1920's, and in the last few days, someone kidnapped him. And we're pissed and we want him back! He's part of the history of the neighborhood, which is one of the few HPOZ's in town. P.S. It kinda looks like he's holding a deep dish pizza, but it's his miner's pan."

We're told a police report has been filed. Dan is 7' tall and "probably weighs thousands of pounds," according to our reader. Also, he was created by sculptor Henry Lion.

The caption for the above photo--which comes via the Los Angeles Public Library--reads: "Sculptor Henry Lion stands on a pedestal to work on his larger-then-life sculpture of a 49er gold prospector entitled 'The Pioneer'" which is to be placed in the courtyard of Carthay Center. Standing next to the sculpture is J. Harvey McCarthy and an unknown woman. Photo dated: Mar. 17, 1926."

And another photo via the LAPL: