Ed Hamilton

Edward Norton Hamilton Jr. (born February 14, 1947) is an American sculptor living in Louisville, Kentucky, who specializes in public art. His most famous work is The Spirit of Freedom, a memorial to black Civil War veterans, that stands in Washington, DC, in the Shaw neighborhood near Howard University. Hamilton has also created monuments dedicated to Booker T. Washington, Joe Louis, York (William Clark's manservant on the Lewis and Clark Expedition), and the slaves who revolted on La Amistad.

Biography

Ed Hamilton was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Louisville by Amy Jane (Camp) and Edward Norton Hamilton Sr. He graduated from the Louisville School of Art in 1969 and also studied at Spalding University, then started his teaching career in 1973 at Iroquois High School.

In June 2009, Hamilton completed work on the memorial statue of Abraham Lincoln which is located near the base of the Big Four Bridge at the Waterfront Park in Louisville, Kentucky. Joe Louis (1984–87), Cobo Center, Detroit, Michigan. La Amistad Memorial (1990–92), City Hall, New Haven, Connecticut. The Spirit of Freedom (1992–98), African American Civil War Memorial, 10th & U Streets NW, Washington, DC. York (2003), Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, Louisville, Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln (2009), Waterfront Park, Louisville, Kentucky.