The Bowman, Chicago, IL
1928 (photograph 1989)
Add all page(s) of this document to activity:
The Bowman by Ivan Mestrovic was unveiled in 1928 in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois.
Part of a series called The Bowman and the Spearman, the bronze equestrian statues oddly were designed with invisible weapons in order to highlight the other features of the statue.
Following a series of national protests against police brutality and racism in policing in the summer of 2020, the Mayor of Chicago created a committee to evaluate monuments and statues across the city that had been a focal point of these protests. In February 2021, the Chicago Monuments Project released their report and selected The Bowman as one of 41 monuments that warranted a public discussion because it promoted narratives of white supremacy, presented an over-simplified view of history, presented a demeaning characterization of American Indians, memorialized individuals with connections to racist acts (including slavery and genocide) or created tension between people who see value in these artworks and those who do not.
This photo and description of the Bowman in Chicago, IL are part of materials from the Grant Park registration form for the National Register of Historic Places.
This primary source comes from the Records of the National Park Service, 1785 - 2006.
Full Citation: The Bowman, Chicago, IL; 1928 (photograph 1989); National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Illinois; National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records; Records of the National Park Service, 1785 - 2006, Record Group 79; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/the-bowman-chicago-il, April 27, 2024]