North Lawndale in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

A Nation's Image

Sidney Murphy

— 1972 —

A Nation's Image Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, June 21, 2024

1. A Nation's Image Marker

Inscription. This sculpture was commissioned by the City of Chicago Department of Urban Renewal through a partnership with the Chicago Public Schools. The artist, a lifelong Lawndale resident, was a junior at Harrison High School when he won a city-wide competition to create an artwork for his neighborhood. Using the form of a family unit, Sidney Murphy embodies the values of his community: Strength, Resiliency, Integrity.

City of Chicago Public Art Collection
Mayor Richard J. Daley

Restored 2022
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot

Erected 2022.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1972.

Location. 41° 51.766′ N, 87° 42.316′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in North Lawndale. It is at the intersection of West Douglas Boulevard and South Kedzie Avenue, in the median on West Douglas Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60623, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Douglas Park (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Boulevard System (about 600 feet away); Route 66 Landmark / Punto de Referencia de la Ruta 66

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(approx. 0.3 miles away); Benny Goodman (approx. half a mile away); North Lawndale Wayfinding Map (approx. 0.6 miles away); Storytelling Sukkah (approx. 0.6 miles away); Stone Temple Baptist Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Vorwaerts Turner Hall (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. The original name of this artwork was "One Family One World," and a reference to this artwork on a nearby historical marker, "The Boulevard System," uses this name. The sculpture depicts two parents embracing a child. Displayed at Kedzie and Douglas since its unveiling in 1972, the masonry-like substance that the artist used has severely weathered over the intervening 50 years.

A Nation's Image image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean Flynn, June 21, 2024

2. A Nation's Image

Photographed by Sean Flynn, June 21, 2024

3. A Nation's Image

Photographed by Sean Flynn, June 21, 2024

4. A Nation's Image

Kedzie Avenue runs north on the left side of this photo.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 22, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 140 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 22, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.