The monument honoring Alexander Hamilton was proposed by philanthropistKate Sturges Buckingham before her death in 1937. Her will included a $1 million earmark to the Art Institute of Chicago for monument's construction.[1] Buckingham felt that Hamilton was an underappreciated figure in the creation of the United States,[2] and before her death, she commissioned sculptor John Angel to design a statue of Hamilton and architect Eliel Saarinen to create an 80-foot (24 m) column that the statue would rest on.[1] The statue was completed in 1939, while the column idea was never executed.[1] Following this, the statue would remain in storage for over 12 years due to bronze shortages during World War II. The monument was dedicated in Lincoln Park in 1952, accompanied by a large plinth behind it made of limestone and granite designed by Samuel A. Marx. However, this plinth was later removed in October 1993,[3] and shortly thereafter the monument was placed on a new, red granite pedestal.[1] In 2016, the statue underwent a $52,000 renovation that included an extensive re-gilding.[4]
Design
The monument is 13 feet (4.0 m)[5] and weighs 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg).[4]
