GARGOYLE: 1. A grotesque spout, representing some animal or human figure, projecting from the gutter of a building (esp. in Gothic architecture), in order to carry the rain-water clear of the walls.

By this definition, most of the images on this site do not actually depict gargoyles. Technically, the U. of C. campus is full of grotesques, bosses, statues, and ornate decoration, but I don't have much trouble saying that they're all pretty much gargoyles. I am collecting these images with hopes to research the rich symbolism the University planned into these fantastic stone carvings. For example, notice the fossils carved into the Geophysical Sciences building, the bust of Shakespeare on Wieboldt, or the many Aesop's Fables renditions on Classics.

All photographs were taken with a 3.0 megapixel camera in 2003-2004, and high-quality images/prints are available upon request.

jswaters@uchicago.edu