Alexander Milne Calder Plaque - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 57.184 W 075° 09.087
18S E 487063 N 4422559
There is a bas-relief bust of Alexander Milne Calder located on the outer wall of City Hall, to the left of the entrance in the north courtyard. It features a small head and upper torso and its inscription is quite lengthy.
Waymark Code: WM9EX0
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 08/10/2010
Views: 4
The plaque was placed in 2007. Alexander Milne Calder (August 23, 1846 – June 4, 1923) was an American sculptor best known for the architectural sculpture of Philadelphia City Hall and of course for the William Penn Statue which adorns the top of Philadelphia City Hall.
The plaque reads:
Alexander Milne Calder
Sculptor - 1846-1923
Alexander Milne Calder emigrated from Scotland in 1868 and spent twenty years creating over 250 sculptures that adorn City Hall. His bronze William Penn, installed atop the tower in 1894, is thought to be the largest scupture on top of a building at 37 feet tall and 27 tons. Calder's son and grandson were also sculptors: Alexander Stirling Calder's is located in Logan Circle and Alexander "Sandy" Calder's monumental Ghost mobile hangs in the Grand Stair of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Below William Penn are eight colossal bronzes of Native Americans, Swedish settlers and eagles. Allegorical sculptures on the building represent history, peoples of the world and nature, and collectively symbolize the spirit upon which the United States was founded.
Generations of Philadelphians have identified City Hall tower as the symbol of their city. The tower is visible for miles and remains the physical and civic heart of Philadelphia.
Creation of this plaque was funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts.