Category Archives: Monuments and Statues

dedicated

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. was dedicated on Memorial Day a century ago (five score years). From the May 31, 1922 issue of The New York Times: WASHINGTON, May 30. – The Lincoln Memorial magnificent and compelling in its … Continue reading

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‘demi-deity’ in bronze

Apparently some people politicized public monuments 150 years ago. From the October 8, 1870 issue of Punchinello (at Project Gutenberg): “SOLEMN SILENCE.” Perhaps very few persons—and especially very few members of the Republican party—are aware that a monument to ABRAHAM … Continue reading

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dignity, repose, and mercy

If he had lived, Abraham Lincoln would be 211 years old today. In its February 26, 1870 issue Harper’s Weekly pictured a new statue of Abraham for Union Square in New York City and recounted the story of President Lincoln … Continue reading

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peace clone

In the fall of 1917 a bit of a brouhaha broke out in the United States over Abraham Lincoln, or at least over his likeness. In 1913, to commemorate one hundred years of peace between the cousins, British-American Centenary Committee … Continue reading

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going way back

150 years ago Harper’s Weekly noticed some Civil War-related items that were associated with earlier times in American history. From its August 23, 1869 issue: THE AMERICAN TRIUMVIRATE. A MEDALLION has been recently published by W. MILLER & Co., Artists … Continue reading

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Bullets Met at Gettysburg

On the sixth anniversary of Day 1 of the Battle of Gettysburg a monument in the National Cemetery on the battlefield was dedicated. The Soldiers’ National Monument hadn’t been quite completed, but a reported 15,000 people showed up for the … Continue reading

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battle hymns

In its June 1, 1919 issue the New York Tribune commemorated the birth centenaries of two well-known Civil War-era Americans. ______________________________ According to Wikipedia, Julia Ward Howe was a poet, author, abolitionist, and advocate for women’s suffrage: She was inspired … Continue reading

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Sedgwick statue dedicated

According to Harper’s Weekly, 150 years ago today a statue of Union General John Sedgwick was dedicated at West Point. At least as of 2008 the monument was still standing. ________________________ John Sedgwick was killed at Spotsylvania on May 9, … Continue reading

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fictional preservation?

An editorial in the April 25, 1868 issue of Harper’s Weekly lamented all the historic Revolutionary War era structures that were being left to deteriorate and hoped that three other “sacred” buildings could be preserved. One of those structures related … Continue reading

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to sculpt the truth

A big monument controversy raged a hundred years ago. People objected to a new statue memorializing the Civil War era that they found very offensive. So far I haven’t read about any calls for its dismantling or removal, but some … Continue reading

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