Alexander Milne Calder

Alexander Milne Calder emigrated from Scotland in 1868 and spent twenty years creating more than 250 sculptures that adorn City Hall. His bronze William Penn, installed atop the tower in 1894, is thought to be the largest sculpture on top of a building at 37 feet tall and 27 tons. Calder’s son and grandson were also sculptors: Alexander Stirling Calder’s Swann Memorial Fountain 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.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States