Hayk Badikian was a famous San Francisco sculptor. Diverse in style, he created a number of famous works of art that adorn many museums, parks and buildings in this city and the United States in general.

Badikian was born in the city of Van in Western Armenia. In the early years of photography, his curious father began to take care of him, but being accused by the Turkish authorities of spying for Russia, he had to leave for the United States. 

Soon after, Badikian also left for the United States and after spending years on his father’s prosperous farm in Fresno, he moved to San Francisco and began sculpting.

After making a name for himself as a talented sculptor in the United States, he went to Paris to perfect his craft after the great San Francisco fire. His multi-style sculptures depict Abraham Lincoln (the sculpture now adorns San Francisco City Hall), American General John J. Pershing, under whose leadership the U.S. Army entered Europe during World War I (the sculpture is located in San Francisco’s “Golden Gate Park”), as well as a number of classical and mythical figures. Badikian also created decorative sculptures decorating the facades of buildings (for example, for the building called Metropolitan Life Building in San Francisco).