Robert Ingersoll Aitken (American, 1878–1949)
Comrades in Arms (Brothers in Arms)
Bronze with brown patina, 20 in. high
Conceived 1919, cast c. 1920
Inscribed: AITKEN ©; ROMAN BRONZE WORKS N.Y.
Commissioned in 1920 by the New York City chapter of Alpha Delta Phi, this bronze memorializes the fraternity’s 93 members who died in World War I. Depicting an American and a Canadian officer aiding one another, the work reflects themes of sacrifice, solidarity, and international brotherhood. Aitken, himself a fraternity member, sold casts by subscription to Alpha Delta Phi chapters across North America.
Robert Ingersoll Aitken was a noted American sculptor best known for his monumental public commissions. A graduate of the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art in San Francisco, Aitken went on to teach at Columbia University and produce numerous works across the United States. His most prominent commissions include the West Pediment of the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco’s Dewey Monument. Aitken’s works combine expressive realism with a commemorative purpose, embodying both civic pride and human resilience.
