Statue of Alexander von Humboldt (Chicago)

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] Despite never having visited Chicago during any of his journeys, he became the park's namesake in 1869.[2] 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.[1] The monument was paid for by Francis Dewes, a German-born brewer who is also known for the Francis J. Dewes House in Chicago.[1]

The statue was dedicated on October 16, 1892.[3] The unveiling ceremony, which saw speeches given in English, German, and Swedish, attracted approximately 20,000 spectators.[4] 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.[3] Notable speakers at the unveiling included Chicago Mayor Hempstead Washburne and University of Chicago professor Albion Woodbury Small.[5] 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.[6]

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.[3]

• 1892 in art

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• Chicago Park District