Helping Hands

Helping Hands designed by Robert Bruce Bullock and painted by Harvey Weinreich was located in the Francisville neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The mural was based on a quote from a Sam Levenson poem titled Time Tested Beauty Tips: “We were given two hands, one to help ourselves, and one to help others.”

Painted with the help of students from the neighborhood, the wall was kept very graphic so there would be lots of solid colors making it easier for some of the younger students to paint. In some of the larger areas, the students were allowed to pick the colors or patterns that would fill in the area. In addition to depicting people helping people, the community wanted the artist to incorporate activities that the students at (the now defunct) Stephen A. Douglas High School participated in. At the dedication, the principal called up students who worked on the mural and presented them with a Certificate of Participation.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (painted out in 2018).