Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wyland Whaling Wall 42

History of the Philadelphia, PA Wyland Whaling Wall 42

-East Coast Humpbacks

Center City’s Marketplace Design Center in Philadelphia was the perfect location for the next Whaling Wall on the tour. Standing 130 feet high and 125 feet long, it enjoyed exceptional visibility from all parts of downtown Philadelphia.

“It was probably fair to say that at that time, most people in Philadelphia had never seen a real whale, much less several of them together at their life-size proportions,” Wyland said. “Philadelphia has a rich history in public art, so I hoped this would be a beautiful addition to the city’s art legacy, but also help
raise awareness of the fact that no matter where we live, we are all connected to the health and survival of these animals, and we need to do everything we can to preserve them.”

Although the wall was interrupted by several windows, the location at the design center was more than large enough for Wyland to paint three life-size humpback whales—a mother, her calf, and another adult—along with two Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and a school of tuna. Sadly, the mural eventually gave way to construction at 2400 Market in 2017.

More to Consider:

• Humpback whales, known for their acrobatic breaches, migrate over 10,000 miles every year, one of the longest migrations of any mammal.

• By the early 1990s, the Delaware River had become much cleaner, thanks to the enforcement of the Clean Water Act, but industrial pollution remained a significant concern.

Whaling wall 42

The Marketplace Design Center, 2400 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
125 Feet Long x 130 Feet High
Dedicated July 19, 1993
By Mayor Edward Rendell

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