Dbq Essay On Public Monument

Monuments

Monument are created to commemorate a person or event. In order for monuments to effectively pay homage to deep sacrifice, a group or agency must take into consideration; a monument’s location, size, and material.

When a group or agency contemplates the creation of a monument, they must consider the monument’s location. The location should be easily accessible or a place that contributes to the importance of the person or event being commemorated. The monument of Christopher Columbus in Riverside Park, Easton, Pennsylvania, is a perfect example of an easily accessible to the public monument.(Doc B) This accessibility, will effectively increase the appreciation for; Christopher Columbus, the Riverside park and the monument itself. The mislocation of a monument can raise controversy among people.

When a Holocaust museum was planned for construction on The Mall in Washington, D.C, the community was furious at the location. People explained that a “museum dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust would be built in the United States” was in appropriate considering that United States “did little” to stop the holocaust.(Doc E) Therefore, groups or agency must carefully consider: a monument’s location, to avoid raising controversy.
After a location is been picked, the group or agency must take into consideration the size of a monument.

The size of a monument is essential in commemorating a person or an event. There is no “one size fits all” for monuments, due to their varying purpose. When a Holocaust museum was being designed for construction in Washington D.C., protesters said that the museum was too large. The purpose for the museum was to remember the Holocaust, not overpower The Mall or its visitors.”(Doc E) By downsizing the museum, they were able to effectively create a place of remembrance, for the holocaust without taking away from other memorials on the Mall. Although downsizing the museum in (Doc E) was the optimal choice to complement and fit other monument in the Washington D.C. mall, downsizing does not apply to every monument. Some monuments are designed to be gigantic, thus their large size contribute to their importance. For example: Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a very large monument, for very important and influential presidents during the history of the U.S. Thus, agency must take into consideration the size of a monument to effectively commemorate a person or

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The material of a monument can make or break the appreciation for a monument. Thus, a group or agency must take into consideration the monument’s material in order to fully commemorate a person or an event. When designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C, May Lin put a lot of thought into the material of the monument. She finally settled for “black granite in order to make the surface reflective and peaceful”(Source G) The mirroring effect of the granite, enhanced the remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives in vietnam by creating another world of reality and remembrance. Choosing the wrong material can result in negligence and total discard of a monument. when planning for “The Maine Lobsterman”(Doc F) Maine run out funding for the monument. The monuments was still made “the artist just slapped a coat of bronze paint over the plaster model”(Doc F) this decision would result in the negligence and vandalization of the plaster statue. It was not until H. Elroy Johnson died, that statue was finally made of brass. Therefore, a group or an agency must take into consideration the material of a monument in order to effectively pay homage to a person or event.
In conclusion, when designing a monument to commemorate or give homage to a person or event, an agency or group must take into consideration a monument’s; location, size, and material.