45 Selected 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.

Ancient - Lion & Lamb Peak, Helm Crag, Grasmere, Cumbria, (England). "Two rock tors stand at either end of its summit ridge lending scope for tourist guides of former years to offer a plethora of descriptive names to entertain their passengers: Lion and Lamb, the Howitzer, Old Lady Playing an Organ. These tops are hard for the average hill-goer to climb..." Click here for lion & lamb monuments worldwide. /// When did "lion & lamb" become a metaphor for peace?

Ancient - "Peace Rock," Monument Valley, Arizona? (USA). "The formation’s name comes from it’s unique shape, said to look like a peace sign. To me however, the entire Valley gives one a sense of inner peace & tranquility. If you ever get the chance, be sure to visit Monument Valley, and in the immortal words of hippies everywhere, 'Peace Out.'"

1814 - El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madrid / The Third of May 1808, Museo del Prado, Madrid (Spain). By Francisco Goya [1746-1828]. Some say that the upraised arms in this painting inspired the famous peace symbol (created for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1958).

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. NB: CND invented the peace symbol on February 21, 1958 (qv).

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)."

2010 - "Peace + Love Checkup," Chinatown, San Francisco, California (USA). Grafitti by Banksy. "Hmm, with the series of premieres already making it’s way across the nation for Banksy’s “Exit Through the Gift Shop” including LA (covered) and New York (covered), it’s only natural to assume that Banksy could easily whiz up the Cali coast to No Cal and hit up San Francisco. We got a tip from our friends at Warholian that this could be the latest piece from the masked bomber. Located in the Chinatown area, it looks very familiar… What do you think?"

Date? - Richard Daniel Baker Peace Park, Route 66, about 24-1/2 miles east of Amarillo, Texas (USA). "I didn't get it. Was it an illusion, a mirage, a byproduct of heat stroke? Right there, as clear as day for all the world to see both at 70 miles per hour along interstate 40 and at a more leisurely pace on Route 66...is this fantastic leap of faith/imagination in the form of a peace park apparently conceived and built by one Richard Daniel Baker, born June 19, 1951 where we stopped and spent an hour amazed at the spectacle which we were a part of as we roamed alone through this monument of peace, strength, whimsy and faith, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary..."

August 19, 2010 - Peace Sign, Grand River, Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA). "As I crossed the bridge over the Grand River on the way home..., I came across an unexpected sight. Somebody had found a shallow spot in the river & piled hundreds of rocks together to form a peace sign & a heart. It brought a smile to my face & is just one more reason for me to miss this amazing city." /// From Facebook: "Did you put the peace sign in the Grand River yesterday????" Left photo by Craig Piersma.

April 8, 2011 - Hiroshima-Denkmal / Hiroshima Monument, Rhine River, Bonn-Beuel (Germany). Inscription: "Hiroshima 6.8.1945. Friede Allen Volkern. Atomwaffen weltweit abschaffen" (translation: "Peace to all peoples. Abolish nuclear weapons worldwide"). Note CND symbol in the stone AND in the landscaping. Click here for video of dedication. Information courtesy of Peter van den Dungen.

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.

C A R D S

August 1, 2011 - "52 Weeks of Peace." This is a postcard book & website, not monuments per se. "Patricia Saxton's imaginative designs combine the universally recognized peace sign with images found in our daily lives. A candy heart, a sleeping cat, a starry night, a game of baseball, a cup of warm coffee are just a few of the fifty two, 5 inch x 7 inch postcards in this unique collection. Share the gift of peace with others by mailing these postcards or frame them to give as gifts."

Date? - Peace Symbol, inscribed on a field, 6220 Stony Creek Road, Jackson, California (USA). 6.9 miles SW of Jackson. Click either image to enlarge & note cattle along fenceline. Click here to see to see satellite image. /// Information & images courtesy of Lonny Cruz 18Oct2017.

May 5, 2013 - "Let's Roll," Village of Ossining, New York (USA). Peace symbol created from "stainless steel, plate, shaft and gear" by sculptor Jim Havens of Gibsonburg, Ohio. One of 25 sculptures erected for Ossining's bicentennial celebration & one of only three slected for permanent display. Information courtesy of Karen & Jim Havens.

October 11, 2015 - Living Peace Wall, Sebstopol, Sonoma County, California (USA). "Myriad memorials honor those lost to war. Michael Gillotti [67-year-old founder & former owner of the town’s Pisces Productions massage-table manufacturing shop] believes the alternate wall of tribute he’s building in Sebastopol does nothing to detract from nor minimize their sacrifices. The project dominating Gillotti’s life is the Living Peace Wall, panels of granite that will be capped by a cast bronze peace sign & that will be etched with the names of 'those who have worked nonviolently for peace & justice.'" Gillotti & his helpers have set the piece’s blond, arcing, concrete base. Atop it will be seven sculpted tablets of 6-inch-thick granite, the two at the ends nearly 2 feet high & the tallest, 6 feet high at the center, including the peace symbol..." /// Four 2015 Honorees: Sebastopol resident Barry Latham-Ponneck [b. 1951], Sebastopol resident Alicia Sanchez [b. 1951], Santa Rosa resident Rev. George Houser [1916-2015] & South African Nelson Mandela [1918-2013]. /// Four 2016 Honorees: Georgia resident Jimmy Carter [b. 1924], Lucy Forest [1920-2015], Linda Sartor [b. 1954] & Santa Rosa resident Dr. Charles O. Prickett [b. 1946]. /// Information courtesy of Barry Ponneck 5Sept2016.

January 1, 2017 "HOLLYWeeD," Mount Lee, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California (USA). "A prankster around 3 am on Sunday morning draped tarps over the iconic "HOLLYWOOD" sign, transforming the O's in 'WOOD' into lowercase e's...[and] nestling a peace sign & the drawing of a heart into the bottom right corners of the two letters..." His intent was more likely to invoke marijuana than any serious message about peace.

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. Information courtesy of Dr. Michael D. Knox.

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."

Future? - "Make Peace" Sculpture by Paul-Felix Montez. Center image is a photomontage depicting a 60 foot Make Peace Tower on a footprint of 22x22 feet. The two photographs are "an actual location for the city of Coral Springs, Florida (USA)."

Future - "John Lennon With Peace Symbol," Central Park, New York City, New York (USA). "Attorney Michael Santo and artist Laura Lian have joined forces from opposite sides of the Pond to come together in an attempt to give peace a three dimensional 'voice' in Central Park. There are bronze statues of John Lennon in Peru, Spain & Cuba, but no such statue exists in New York, the city John Lennon moved to after The Beatles disbanded..." Santo believes that if there is a public call for the project, then there's a chance Ono 'would endorse the piece.'"

Future? - "Anti-War Memorial," Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California (USA). Kickstarter project launched July 26, 2013, by mosaic artist Maria Juliana Martinez. "Martinez is originally from Puerto Rico but grew up mainly in Los Angeles. She did her first mosaic when she was 9 and was hooked; she has been doing them ever since. She also paints, but not as well. She is married, has four natural children, one adopted son, and four grandchildren. Unfortunately, she didnt get discovered until she was 52 years old, so she is working at warp speed to get a lot in. She was a hippie, the peace and anti-war kind (lots of far-out discussions about passive resistance, Pete Seeger concerts, and eating macro-biotic food, even though she wanted to go to Lawrys and eat prime rib in her heart of hearts)." See video.