The Helmsman

Artist: Romanelli, Carlo

Date: 1931

Medium: Copper painted stone on marble

Artwork Dimensions: 180 x 108 x 144 in.

County Department: Beaches and Harbors

Artwork Site: Burton W. Chace Park

Supervisorial District: 2

Current Status: On view

About the Artwork: For many years, The Helmsman stood in front of, and was a trademark for, the world-renowned Helms Bakery on Venice Boulevard in Culver City, California. In 1971 the statue was donated to the County by the Helms family. It is now looks out over the Marina Del Rey Harbor in Burton W. Chace Park. The Helmsman is a cast concrete figure in staunch repose with both hands clenched on a wooden helm. His posture is tight, his body hunched over, and his expression determined. Although formerly the symbol of the unfaltering delivery service of the Helms Bakery, The Helmsman fits perfectly in this maritime environment.

About the Artist: Carlo Romanelli was a Los Angeles sculptor in the first half of the 20th Century. His works can be seen at St. Michael's Church, Los Angeles; St. Vincent de Paul, Los Angeles; and Temple Shaarei Tikvah, Arcadia. His son, Carl Romanelli, also a sculptor, created the Joseph Scott statue, at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles, as well as a likeness of Elvis Presley which resides outside the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel.