Archive for October, 2022
PURCHASE: ~ NEW ~ MacNeil Biography
Posted by: | CommentsJim Haas’ BOOK~ Hermon Atkins MacNeil: American Sculptor In the Broad, Bright Daylight
CLICK HERE to purchase (Amazon Books):
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Hermon Atkins MacNeil: BIOGRAPHY Published !!!
Posted by: | CommentsAuthor and historian, James E. Haas has completed
“Hermon Atkins MacNeil:
American Sculptor
In the Broad, Bright Daylight”
Now
, Seventy-Five years after the sculptor’s death,
this definitive BIOGRAPHY is available.
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Webmaster comments:
Our “Uncle Hermon,”
(who kept his gold and silver award medals in a drawer),
would be a little embarrassed
but modestly proud.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
James E. Haas
This is Haas’ sixth book. All his works are rooted in the history of College Point.
James Haas grew up there in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. He learned as a boy that the twenty-five cent pieces that made a home in his pocket, were designed by a former neighbor named Hermon A. MacNeil.
The MacNeil’s built their Studio on the northern shore of College Point in 1902. The community was an easily defined peninsula on the East River, Burrough of Queens, in New York City.
Listening and hearing tales of the generations of residents before him, Jim’s “young boy fascination” was stirred by conversations of local people and lore. As an adult he chose to capture those sagas into words. Jim distilled his writings with research and collaboration about his College Point roots and history.
Two recurring of names woven through many stories were Hermon Atkins MacNeil and Carol (“Carrie”) Brooks MacNeil. Their involvement in the Village’s efforts supporting the Great War “piqued” an additional interest in the couples service. Now in his sixth volume, Haas puts this pair (the husband-wife sculptor team) in focus at center stage.
The 20 plus chapters form a chronology of the life and works of Hermon and Carrie MacNeil. The research is thorough and thoughtful. He is a heart-felt historian of his home town roots. His story telling is as encompassing as their global accomplishments.
Cecelia MacNeil, Hermon’s widow credited the following statement to Adolph Block:
“… all that Hermon Atkins MacNeil lacks to acquire fame is a good biographer.”
Adolph Block should know. He too was a sculptor ~ (more) and a student of MacNeil
All that Hermon MacNeil lacked
was a Good Biographer
But NOW in 2022
Hermon Atkins MacNeil’s BIOGRAPHY
is Published
And James E. Haas is his “Good Biographer”
Postscript by Webmaster:
HermonAtkinsMacNeil.com/ [ HAM ]
Until 2010 the works of Hermon MacNeil had no central “Gathering Point” in the virtual world of digitized communication.
This website was created as a convergence for searches about
Hermon MacNeil.
Since 2010 this website has cornered the market on
Color images and vignettes of the
LIVES AND WORKS of Hermon and Carol MacNeil.
https://hermonatkinsmacneil.com/ has added to their FAME
BUT
No one CHRONOLOGICAL STORY of the MacNeils is presented here.
NOW
THIS VOLUME BY JAMES HAAS HAS CREATED A
Thorough, Painstaking, Detailed, Systematic, Telling
that this American Sculptor has needed
for the last 75 years.
SO ENJOY !
! ! ! !
“… all that Hermon Atkins MacNeil lacks to acquire fame is a good biographer.”
. . . . . . .
FOR MORE BOOKS BY JIM HAAS GO TO:
https://www.amazon.com/ And Enter a Search for: james e. haas
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Chicago Monuments Project Says “REMOVE ‘The Marquette Jolliet Illini Memorial'”
Posted by: | CommentsREMOVE IT!

A RED “X” and scribbles mark the decision to remove this monumental piece funded a century ago by the Benjamin Franklin Ferguson Monument Fund to adorn Chicago boulevard and green-ways with historic statuary.
The Chicago Monuments Project says REMOVE IT!
So, we have “X-ed” out the Marquette Jolliet Illini sculpture from our photo posed in 2010.
After gracing the Douglas Park neighborhood for nearly a century, this sculpture by Hermon A. MacNeil is judged to deserve the
Axe–ually, it may get:
- Removal,
- Storage, and possibly
- Lending or Donation to a private venue.
The Report of the Chicago Monuments Project reads, in part:
“Jacques Marquette-Louis Jolliet Memorial”
» The sculpture reinforces stereotypes
about American Indians and glorifies
a complicated and painful history of Western expansion. It features a cowering American Indian, following submissively in the footsteps of MarquetteRecommended Next Steps
-
» The artwork should be placed in storage
-
» The city should initiate a conversation with the Marshall Square community, where the artwork is located, to study options for the development of new public art at the site
-
» Agencies may also consider the long- term loan or donation of this artwork to a private organization
Since 1926 this work has graced the bend of Marshall Boulevard and 24th Boulevard.
VISITING THE MONUMENT
While it is still standing, the monument can be reached by:
Driving south down through Douglas Park on Sacramento Blvd to Marshall Blvd as it becomes West 24th Blvd. There you can find the 1925 bronze grouping of Pere Marquette, Louis Jolliete, and an Illinois Indian that faces the greenway of the boulevard.
The monument stands on a six-foot (6′) base with bronze groupings almost twelve feet (12′) tall. It’s removal will not be an easy extraction

Chicagoans approaching the Monument along Marshall and 24th Avenue Boulevards are greeted by the Jesuit’s open hand.
FYI: MORE Discussion~ will come!
the Webmaster
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Related posts:
- “Chicago Sculpture in the Loop” features Hermon A. MacNeil’s Work at Marquette Building (3) Gregory H. Jenkins has posted stories of the Marquette Bronze…
- Hermon MacNeil Sculpture in the Chicago Loop (3) Gregory H. Jenkins AIA, Chicago architect and keeper of the …
- Marquette Statue in Chicago (3) Today we took a short trip south from our daughter’s…
- More Marquette Statue Photos (3) Our Photo journey to this statue produced more pictures than…
- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ What’s the FUTURE of the PAST? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The Chicago Monuments Project (3) All of Hermon MacNeil’s Lifeworks enshrine the PAST. SO… What…
- Why the Chicago Monument Project? ~~ FAQ (3) Frequently Asked Questions Why is Chicago doing this? Chicago joins..
- What’s the FUTURE of the PAST? ~ The Chicago Monuments Project. All of Hermon MacNeil’s Lifeworks enshrine the PAST. SO… What is the Future of the Past?







