Pincus, 83, who watched Wednesday's installation for hours, acquired one of the three big plugs (the two others are at the St. Louis Art Museum and the Allen Art Museum of Oberlin College in Ohio) early in the 1970s and, with the artist's assistance, installed it in his Wynnewood backyard.
He recalled Oldenburg's coming down from New York to help install the piece many years ago.
"We had a wonderful time," Pincus said. "We were digging in the backyard. Even Oldenburg. He loved fresh fruit, and my wife went out to get him some. He did some drawings in a little book."
Now Pincus has given the piece to the Art Museum in honor of Anne d'Harnoncourt, its late director, who died in 2008. The sculpture garden, which began with a sheaf of works by Isamu Noguchi, will be named in d'Harnoncourt's honor at a ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 7. Mayor Nutter is scheduled to be on hand to announce the renaming of Museum Drive as Anne d'Harnoncourt Drive.
"I'm sure Anne would be delighted with what they've done with the garden," said Pincus. "She was something special."
Will he miss seeing the plug as he strolls behind his home?
"My kids will," Pincus said as he watched the crew of workers from Atelier Art Services, the Philadelphia firm that stored and moved the piece.
" 'Dad, don't do that!' " Pincus said his grown children urged him. "But art is for enjoyment. You have it in a lifetime. It doesn't belong to you."
Oldenburg, who could not make it down from New York for the Wednesday dig and drop, said the concept for the plug, made of Cor-Ten steel and bronze, was architectural.
