Statue of Alexander von Humboldt (Chicago)

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Alexander von Humboldt statue
Von Humboldt Statue.jpg
Alexander von Humboldt statue (2014)
Statue of Alexander von Humboldt (Chicago)
41°54′19.73″N87°42′5.29″W / 41.9054806°N 87.7014694°W / 41.9054806; -87.7014694
Location Humboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States
DesignerFelix Görling
H.C. Hoffman & Co. (pedestal)
Builder Gladenbeck foundry
H.C. Hoffman & Co. (pedestal)
Material Bronze
Granite (pedestal)
Height10 feet (3.0 m)
Dedicated dateOctober 16, 1892
Dedicated to Alexander von Humboldt

The Alexander von Humboldt statue is a monumental statue in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Located in Humboldt Park, a major urban park in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, the statue depicts Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian polymath and the park's namesake. The statue was dedicated in 1892.

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History

The park and surrounding neighborhood were named in honor of Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian polymath who, among other things, made numerous scientific voyages throughout the Americas during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. [1] [2] Despite never having visited Chicago during any of his journeys, he became the park's namesake in 1869. [3] According to Chicago's NPR affiliate, the name was chosen due to "ethnic politics", as German Americans made up a significant portion of the neighborhood's population and were considered a growing voting bloc in the politics of Chicago. [2] The monument was paid for by Francis Dewes, a German-born brewer who is also known for the Francis J. Dewes House in Chicago. [2]

The statue was dedicated on October 16, 1892. [4] The unveiling ceremony, which saw speeches given in English, German, and Swedish, attracted approximately 20,000 spectators. [5] The bronze figure of Humboldt was sculpted by a German sculptor named Felix Görling and was cast in the Gladenbeck foundry in Berlin. The pedestal was designed and made by H.C. Hoffman & Co., a Chicago-based company, using granite from Freeport, Maine. [4] Notable speakers at the unveiling included Chicago Mayor Hempstead Washburne and University of Chicago professor Albion Woodbury Small. [6] The statue is one of several of Humboldt erected in the United States during the 1800s, alongside statues in Philadelphia, St. Louis, and the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. [7]

Design

The monument features a bronze sculpture of Humboldt atop a granite pedestal, with the entire height of the monument being approximately 10 feet (3.0 m). Humboldt is posed as a lecturer, with a flower in his raised right hand and a book in his left hand, which is resting on a tree stump. A globe and other smaller symbols of some of the scientific fields Humboldt was involved in are present near his feet. [4]

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Bibliography

41°54′20″N87°42′05″W / 41.90548°N 87.70147°W / 41.90548; -87.70147