Sculptor. The son of a Parisian cabinetmaker, Joseph attended the École des Beaux-Arts before being drafted into the Army during the Revolution of 1848. He assaulted an officer, deserted, and fled to England where he studied briefly under the sculptor Edward Hodges Baily. After traveling to the United States and Argentina, he settled in Philadelphia in 1850. Once settled,  he started a woodcarving business and was successful with commissions from local patrons for decorative projects. In 1854, he opened a sculpture studio and first worked as a wood carver and wax modeler but then became a specialist in portrait busts in bronze. One of his commissions was the carving of ornamental sculpture for the Academy of Music, built in 1855-57. In 1860, he was elected an Academician of the Pennsylvania Academy and became an instructor in modeling there from 1876-1877. His bust of George Washington was placed at Independence Hall and later moved to the National Portrait Gallery. (bio by: Shock)  Family links:  Spouse:  Elizabeth Bible Bailly (1832 – 1904)* *Calculated relationship