At A Glance
The Inquirer initiated a public subscription to erect a memorial to McKinley following his assassination
The Fairmount Park Art Association (now the Association for Public Art) coordinated the project
McKinley is shown delivering a speech with a symbolic figure of wisdom instructing a youth below him
Following the assassination of President William McKinley on September 14, 1901, the Philadelphia Inquirer initiated a public subscription to erect a proper memorial. McKinley himself was associated with the city’s monuments having dedicated the Washington and Grant memorials.
McKinley, who was known for his tariff and currency policies, is depicted in a characteristic pose in the midst of delivering a speech.
The Fairmount Park Art Association (now the Association for Public Art) was asked to coordinate the project and initiated a design competition. Of the thirty-eight models that were submitted for consideration, that of Charles Albert Lopez was chosen.
Born in Metamora, Mexico, Charles Lopez studied with John Quincy Adams in New York City, and later at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Lopez showed great promise when he was awarded the McKinley commission, but he died unexpectedly, soon after completing the working models for the sculpture. The executors of the fund and and the Committee on Design selected Isidore Konti, an artist born in Vienna and known for his decorative monumental work, to complete the memorial.
McKinley, who was known for his tariff and currency policies, is depicted in a characteristic pose in the midst of delivering a speech. Below him sits a symbolic figure representing wisdom instructing a youth.
Adapted from Public Art in Philadelphia by Penny Balkin Bach (Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1992) and Sculpture of a City: Philadelphia’s Treasures in Bronze and Stone by the Fairmount Park Art Association (now the Association for Public Art) (Walker Publishing Co., New York, 1974).
Voices heard in the Museum Without Walls: AUDIO program: Lewis L. Gould is Professor Emeritus of American History at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of The Modern American Presidency. Audrey Flack (1931-2024) was a pioneering artist known for her work in photorealism and sculpture. Her work is included in the collections of major museums around the world. | Segment Producer: Sarah P. Reynolds
Museum Without Walls: AUDIO is the Association for Public Art’s award-winning audio program for Philadelphia’s outdoor sculpture. Available for free by phone, mobile app, or online, the program features more than 150 voices from all walks of life – artists, educators, civic leaders, historians, and those with personal connections to the artworks.
RESOURCES
This artwork is part of the Around City Hall tour
