Designed by: Ivan Mestrovic Construction Completed: 1928 Type: Monument Maximum Height: 17 feet / 5 meters (including spires, antennae, etc...) Location: Congress Parkway at Michigan Avenue Area: Grant Park Post Code: 60605 City: Chicago, Illinois
Since I was a child I always loved these two statues, the Bowman and the Spearman. Everyone goes crazy for Buckingham Fountain and seem to forget that the entrance to the fountain is bracketed by these two magnificent statues. You will find many pictures of the fountain, or the lions at the entrance to the Art Institute. But it is almost impossible to find really good photos of these two statues. Most photos of Buckingham Fountain are taken facing West, with the city skyline behind the fountain. I always preferred to face East, with the statues bracketing the fountain and Lake Michigan as a backdrop. Of course I have had the advantage of working in one of the officebuildings on South Wabash St so I could look out the window and see this scene of the Warriors guarding the entrance to the park on either side of Congress street with the pillors on each side of them and Buckingham Fountain spouting in the center of the picture.Some day I hope to capture this picture with a really good camera. It would be the only one in existance that I know of if I were to do so. It is more fitting to the concept that was originally laid out than the one of the fountain backdropped by the city skyline since that view would have the rears of the Warriors instead of their fronts. I am also impressed with the new finish that has been applied to the Warriors, with the aged bronze looking much nicer than the green patina from the old finish. The only thing is that is unfortunate is that the bridge over the railroad tracks now blocks the view of the fountain at ground level when standing at the park entrance. So the only way to get the Warriors, the pylons and the fountain into the shot is from above ground from one of the buildings facing the park. The shot will be offset a bit to the north or south depending upon which building the shot is taken from since dead center would be in the middle of Congress Street.
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Dale Johnson - Tuesday, May 2nd, 2006 @ 10:34pm • Rating: 
Five stars.
60% of our readers like Spearman, The.