Peace Monuments Based on the CND Peace Symbol

Click here for Wikipedia article on the "peace sign" & other peace symbols.
Click here for Wikipedia article on the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).
Click here for Wikipedia article on peace flags; click here for Wikipedia article on the Flag of the Earth.

Right click image to enlarge.

February 21, 1958 - Peace Symbol, London (England). Designed by Gerald Holtom [1914-1985] who combined semaphore signals for "N" and "D" (Nuclear Disarmament). Used by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (DAC) during its April 4 march from London to Aldermaston. Adopted as its badge by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in Britain. Now used worldwide.

Easter 1958 - Peace Symbol, Aldermaston (England). "The Direct Action Committee (DAC) had already planned what was to be the first major anti-nuclear march, from London to Aldermaston, where British nuclear weapons were and still are manufactured. It was on that march, over the 1958 Easter weekend that the symbol first appeared in public. Five hundred cardboard lollipops on sticks were produced. Half were black on white & half white on green. Just as the church’s liturgical colours change over Easter, so the colours were to change, 'from Winter to Spring, from Death to Life.' Black white would be displayed on Good Friday Saturday, green & white on Easter Sunday & Monday." /// Left photo is from Aldermaston in 1958. Right photo shows CND march at Westminster Abbey on Hiroshima Day, August 6, 1961.

Date? - Peace Sign, between Pochuc _____ (USA). At trailside in a forest. The trail distance between the two shelters is 12.3 miles.

Date? - Peace Symbol, Highway 24, Contra Costa County, California (USA).

1972 - Hombre en Busca de Paz / Man in Search of Peace, Cementerio Campos de Paz, Medellín (Columbia). Bronce, edición monumental. Altura 15 m, peso 4 ton.

Various dates - Peace barns, various localities (USA).

1973 - Omega Peace Institute (OPI), Arkansas Avenue, North Mesa, Los Alamos New Mexico (USA). Next door to Black Hole (qv). Former Grace Lutheran Church purchased in 1973 by Ed Grothus [1923-2009]. First called 'The Omega Peace Institute' & later named 'The First Church of High Technology.' "Adorned with a large peace sign mounted on the [A-frame] building, two symbolically broken torpedos out front & a sign that reads: "OMEGA PEACE INSTITUTE, FIRST CHURCH OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY, BLACK HOLE SYNOD, Critical Mass Every Sunday with Bomb Unworship Service.' Actually, no services are held, and the church building itself is stuffed with more junk [from the Black Hole]."

June 12, 1982 - Faslane Peace Camp, alongside Faslane Naval Base, Argyll & Bute (Scotland). This peace camp still exists and appears to be permanent. Click here for Wikipedia article.

March 21, 1984 - John Lennon Memorial, Strawberry Fields, Central Park, New York City, New York (USA). Reproduction of a mosaic from Pompeii (gift from Naples, Italy) & 2.5-acre knoll dedicated by Yoko Ono on what would have been Lennon's 45th birthday. Entrance on Central Park West at West 72nd Street, directly across from The Dakota apartments, where Lennon lived for the latter part of his life and where he was murdered. "Designed by landscape architect Bruce Kelly..Yoko Ono contributed $500,000 to the establishment of the garden, as well as an equivalent amount for its ongoing maintenance. It has become the tranquil meeting point for fans the world over, many of whom sing Beatles and Lennon songs on summer afternoons."

After September 18, 1985 - Grave of Gerald Holtom, Kent & Sussex Cemetery & Crematorium, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent (England). Inscription: "To the memory of Gerald Herbert Holtom, A Campaigner for Peace - May He Find Peace. Died 18th September 1985, Aged 71 Years." "Gerald Herbert Holtom [1914-1985] created the CND peace symbol on February 21, 1958. At that time, he was working with the Direct Action Committee against Nuclear War. Holtom was a dedicated peacemaker & graduate of the Royal College of Arts. During World War II, he worked on a farm in England as a conscientious objector." Note peace symbols in upper corners of the tombstone.

1980's - "Peace Wall," near the Charles Bridge, Prague (Czech Republic). "Prague certainly got its fill of Lenin as it fell behind the iron curtain but it also showed a fondness for Lennon...John Lennon. This wall was used by dissidents to express Lennonism (vs Leninism) in graffiti. The graffiti started in the 1980's after the death of the former Beatle. Lennon was a pacifist hero for the Czechs who were living with a totalitarian government. Police would continually paint the wall, and dissidents would then sneak over at night & repaint the graffiti."

1996 - "Peace A Pizza" (PAP), Ardmore, Pennsylvania (USA). "Has 15 locations across PA, NJ & DE & boasts 'Best of' awards from Philadelphia Magazine, Main Line Today & Delaware Today. First opened its doors in Ardmore in 1996 & began franchising in 2004. The goal of the company is to provide unique, high quality pizza as well as salads & strombolis, in an atmosphere that is fun for both customers & employees. 'We are always trying to bring a smile to our customers and our community,' says company president, Pete Howey. 'We try not to take ourselves too seriously. Our goal is develop a brand that communicates approachability, community & fun. If we can elicit a few smiles or chuckles along the way, that's awesome.' "

Date? - Peace Symbol, Johnson Road just east of Mason County Airport, Ludington, Michigan (USA). "Created with pine trees... Sends a symbol of peace to the world. I discovered this oddity while laboriously poring over satellite images of Mason County. Plenty of preparation and foresight went into planting trees in this way. This family wishes to share their message of peace in the grandest possible way. We could all take a lesson from this; when we have built peace in our homes, the rest of the world will see."

1999-2000 - "From the Bomb to the Beatles" Exhibition, Imperial War Museum, London (England). Included an early ceramic badge lent by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). "The first badges were made [in 1958] by Eric Austin of Kensington CND using white clay with the symbol painted black. Again there was a conscious symbolism. They were distributed with a note explaining that in the event of a nuclear war, these fired pottery badges would be among the few human artifacts to survive the nuclear inferno. These early ceramic badges can still be found."

2001-2002 School Year - "Westwood's Peace Monument", Westwood Elementary School, near Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (Canada). Third grade students of class 3D make a classroom monument using virtually every symbol of peace: Dove, crane, CND peace symbol, Banner of Peace, V-sign, torch, biracial handshake. They also search the World Wide Web and post other peace monuments. Click here to see the results.

Proposed in 2004 - "The Welcoming," Nelson, British Columbia (Canada). Also known as the "Draft Dodger Monument." "A 60-foot Peace-Sign base of rock & pools of water, with the '3-fingered' end of the Peace-Sign indicating the journey from all parts of the US, & where the 'Water Arches' indicate the US/Canadian border, where there is an American man & woman being welcomed by a Canadian with outstreached arms & welcoming hands." "Roughly 125,000 Americans crossed the border into Canada during the 1960's & 1970's because of their opposition to the Vietnam War. Many settled in the Nelson area... The plan got the attention of FOX-TV News in the US & has come under fire from Americans, veterans groups & some Canadian politicians. As a result of the criticism, the city of Nelson, afraid of alienating US tourists, has distanced itself from the proposal." "More recently, servicemen deserting from America's war with Iraq have found their way to Nelson."

About 2004 - Peace Wall, Castle Rock, Bisbee, Arizona (USA). "Castle Rock is an imposing hunk of rock on the side of Tombstone Canyon in Bisbee, Arizona. British-born artist Rose Johnson [1961-2009] was commissioned by the city of Bisbee to paint a mural dedicated to world peace on a concrete wall that abuts Castle Rock."

October 30, 2004 - Mordechai Vanunu House, headquarters of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), 162 Holloway Road, Islington, London (England). Named for Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli nuclear technician who revealed the Israel's nuclear weapons program to the British press in 1986.

May 2005 - Peace sign, Bird Rock, Point Loma, Ocean Beach, San Diego, California (USA). "The decoration on the rock keeps changing. I'm not sure who does this...or how they do it."

July 12, 2005 - Peace Pilgrim Park, London Street, Egg Harbor City, New Jersey (USA). Across from the Roundhouse Museum in the hometown of "Peace Pilgrim" Mildred Lisette Norman [1908-1981]. Maintained by the Friends of Peace Pilgrim in her memory. Quotation on sign: "Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth and hatred with love." Center image shows Peace Pilgrim's sister Helene Young with the statue of Peace Pilgrim. See other statue in Costa Rica. Click herefor more information.

May 31, 2006 - Portland Peace Memorial Park, just south of Steele Bridge, Portland, Oregon (USA). Surrounded by expressways. Dedicated on Memorial Day. "Orchestrated by the Oregon chapter of Veterans for Peace. ...thought to be the largest memorial to the idea of peace in America [sic!]." Or called Portland Memorial Peace Park?

2007 - Solar Peace Sculpture, University of Saarland, Saarbrüken (Germany). Sponsored by Matter of Trust (San Francisco). Sculpted by Fred George (Saarbrüken & New York City). "Appeals to the global citizen as well as politicians around the world. Symbolically, in addition to the commentary on current wars, this piece represents a call to the world to embrace alternative energies. Standing 50 feet tall Constructed of 120 oil barrels, with a solar energy panel mounted on each barrel. The solar energy produced from the panels will feed into the electrical grid of the city, with the monthly proceeds donated to various local charities. Current proposal locations include Saarbrüken, New York City & Shanghai."

July 2007 - "Unity Through Diversity" Mural, Camellia Substation, next to Big Chico Creek, Chico, California (USA). "Conceived by the Youth Nexus teen group that wanted to convey a message of ity through diversity. The peace symbol and caricatures of earth, wind, fire, and water are designed to portray this message. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), which owns the substation, donated $5,500 to fund the project."

2008 - ArabAd's Peace Poster Contest, Beirut (Lebanon). "Recently we learned of an International peace poster competition based in the Middle East calling for entries in its juried exhibition. This is the first of what will be many such competitions in the future. The theme of peace was chosen because it is the 50th anniversary of the creation of the peace symbol, and as such, each entry in the contest must include the symbol somewhere in the design. The competition, open to designers living and working in the Middle East, will culminate in an awards ceremony on the beach near Beirut that will include not only announcement of the winners, but also live performances and entertainment. The first prize is $1,000, second $750, third $500 plus prizes for the runner ups."

B O O K

Miles, Barry (Spring 2008), "Peace: 50 Years of Protest," published by Anova Books in the UK & by Readers Digest Books in the USA. "Tells the story of the enduring power of what was originally designed as the official sign for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament [CND] in England." Miles has written numerous books, & his work has also regularly appeared in papers such as The Guardian. See Kolsbun (2008).

B O O K

Kolsbun, Ken (April 1, 2008), "Peace: The biography of a symbol," National Geographic Society (NGS), Washington, DC (USA). Includes exclusive archival interviews with Gerald Holtom [1914-1985] who created the peace symbol for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in 1958. Click here for photos & more information. See Miles (2008). October 21, 2009 - "Stop the Violence. Another Way is Possible," Houston Street & Avenue B, Lower East Side (LES), New York City, New York (USA). "The legendary LES artist retired to Florida earlier this year. But Chico [Antonio Garcia] is back, thanks to the Lower East Side Girls Club and the anti-violence organization Power of Peace (POP)." December 6, 2009 - "Gratitude to America. America is the victory of peace," along The Baywalk (between Miami Circle & Brickell Park), Miami, Florida (USA). Borders the Related Group’s Icon Brickell. "A 15-foot bronze monument by Russian sculptor Gregory Pototsky." "Conveys the ideas of democracy, freedom & tolerance." "Erected by Universal Artistik (founded in 2008 to represent artists from all over the world) together with Related group (one of the largest global development companies that built the Time Warner towers in New York)." M U R A L Summer 2011 - "Wonder Wheel of Peace," Helsinki (Finland). One of a number of street murals painted as a result of an initiative by "Multicoloured Dreams" (MCD). Theme for summer 2011 was "peace & peacemaking." Click here for a gallery of other 2011 murals. Artworks can be seen on the construction site walls on Kamppi Narinkkatori square, in Töölönlahti area & next to the Parliament House. Future - US Peace Memorial, Washington, DC (USA). A project of Dr. Michael D. Knox, Tampa, Florida. (Click here to see "peace activist" Mike Knox compared to "wrestling superstar" Mike Knox.) In plan view (left image), this monument represents the famous CND peace symbol. Future - "The Welcoming," British Columbia (Canada). "As envisioned, has a 60-foot Peace-Sign base of rock and pools of water, with the '3-fingered' end of the Peace-Sign indicating the journey from all parts of the US, and where the 'Water Arches' indicate the US/ Canadian border, where there is an American man and woman being welcomed by a Canadian with outstreached arms and welcoming hands."

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