Located in Grant Park, the monument was dedicated in 1948 to Talbot, who had founded what is now the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in the city in 1888.

[3] The location for the monument, Grant Park, was chosen due to its prominence in the city,[3] and today the area is a plaza near an entrance for Zoo Atlanta.

[4] The monument consists of a bronze bust of Talbot resting atop a pedestal made of Tennessee marble.

Attached to the pedestal is a bronze logo of the IAM and a plaque that reads:[2] Erected by the membership of the International Association of Machinists, May 5, 1948, to the memory of its founder Thomas Wilson Talbot, 1849-1892, through whose efforts came light out of darkness and hope out of despair.

And that generations to come might extol his greatness, this monument is solemnly dedicated to free men everywhere who toil for a livelihood.The 2013 plaque attached to the statue reads:[2] CELEBRATING 125 YEARS, Placed by the members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers to honor Thomas Wilson Talbot's enduring legacy, 125 years after he founded the Machinists Union in Atlanta Georgia on May 5, 1888.