Dora

This statue, affectionately nicknamed "Dora," was sculpted by Helmuth von Zengen around 1924, and is based on the sculptures of sprites that Alfonso Lannelli and Frank Lloyd Wright had designed for Midway Gardens. Herbert Dow commissioned Von Zengen to design this statue using magnesite cement, a new material that the Dow Chemical Company was experimenting with at the time.

In addition to Dora, Von Zengen sculpted two pelicans for Herbert Dow out of Portland cement in 1930. One of these pelicans sits perched on the edge of the pond near the main garden pathway. More than 90 years later, these sculptures continue to bring joy to Dow Gardens visitors.