The bear on top of the fountain

Early morning sunlight competes with shadows as the bear stands on its pedestal atop Jackman Park's century-old fountain at Centennial Plaza in Glenview Wednesday.

A plaque nearby states that the Jackman Bear Fountain was originally dedicated to the children of Glenview on Sept. 15, 1917, by Edwin S. Jackman. According to the Village of Glenview's website, Jackman, who commissioned the fountain, lived in nearby Golf and made his fortune through E.S. Jackman and Co. as the Chicago agent for the Firth-Sterling Steel Co.

"Since 1917, the Jackman Bear has served as Glenview's symbol of community pride and participation. First located at the site of the present fire station on Glenview Road, the Bear was later moved to Jackman Park," the inscription reads.

The village's website further states that the bear was recast prior to the fountain's rededication at its current location in 1999.

Though a view taken from a higher altitude would have shown the fountain in its entirety, I wanted the image to be at eye level with the bear, which is posed with its head downward. In its mouth, the bear holds a curved bar, to which a pair of lamps are mounted on either end, and these are at the bottom of the photo's frame.

I realize that a similar view likely could have been taken with the use of a tall ladder, but I was able to safely launch the drone, take the photo I envisioned, and land within a matter of minutes.

I like the warm glow of the sunlight shining on the concrete surfaces, the fall colors lingering on the leaves of the trees in the background, and the long shadows, which I think add depth to the scene.

Though I've passed Jackman Park dozens of times in recent months, I had no idea that the 103-year-old fountain, and the refurbished bear that stands on top of it, had such a rich and interesting history.