American politician, Henry Waxman once said, “Memorials become relics if they do not stir our modern conscience.” Americans take great pride in winning intense battles and celebrate these victories in several different ways. Sometimes Americans show pride and gratitude is creating large statues dedicated to important figures or events in history. These statutes and or museums take a lot of dedication and effort to look well established and portray an heroic message. While a group or agency is considering creating a memorial or monument for an event or person, they should remember to consider who this memorial or monument effects, what it represents, and if it is a good task to start in the first place. Important establishments, like memorials and …show more content…
Most memorials are dedicated to a significant person or time in history. However, there have been certain memorials that held almost no representation in historic times or modern times. One such memorial would be, “The Main Lobsterman”, created by H. Elroy Johnson, which is talked about in Source F (Roadside America). H. Elroy Johnson made a living trapping lobsters and he created this statue to be a part of the Maine exhibit at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. While this statue seemed to have a copious amount of meaning, it was described as, “The statue was vandalized, repaired, and ended up in a warehouse where it was eaten by rats” (Roadside America)."The Maine Lobsterman" did not represent a useful or significant event or person in history, so virtually no one paid attention to this statue and no one actively fought for it to be kept in society. If memorials or monuments do not show, or represent something that is important and valuably, then it should not be created in the first place. Moreover, the task of developing and creating a memorial is a very extensive process that takes a lot of preparation and
Monuments and museums are arenas of public history and for the formation and articulation of identities and narratives.[1] Decisions taken as to the formation of museums and the selection, display and organisation of exhibits are influenced by criteria which are not necessarily politically neutral; these may especially involve devices of political elites to emphasise aspects of communal togetherness and thus exert control over communities.[2] Memory and commemoration of past events and generations is by its nature a political and contested act, especially in sharply divided societies.[3] It is no surprise that recently established governments and states should particularly concern themselves with the production of such forms of festivities, commemorations, and monuments.[4] As rulers of a sharply divided society, unionist elites in Northern Ireland in the aftermath of its eventful creation in 1920-1 had particular reasons to concern themselves, and did concern themselves, with such strategies of power.[5] The integration of the province's Catholic minority may have been, or may have been felt to be, beyond the rulers of Northern Ireland;[6] but this very fact heightened the importance of preserving the highest possible degree of political unity under unionist hegemony among the Protestant majority.[7]
America’s history-both good and bad-has much to teach us. Taking down, destroying these monuments is erasing, rewriting the physical symbols of the nation. This type of cultural whitewashing is inglorious. We can treat these monuments as a cautionary tool to remind ourselves what we are and what we are not. The cost forebears paid for the freedom of the nation should be remembered; therefore, people should retain these statues to remind of themselves what these monuments represent.
History has a strange way of coming back around when it comes to human civilization. It has been said repeatedly that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. However, just because there is a potential for danger in the future, this does not mean that humanity must ignore what once was. History is normally remembered through what is known as a memorial. When a memorial is put into a physical representation, it is then known as a monument.The need to memorialize events or people is complex; in some cases, monuments honor moments of great achievement, while in other cases, monuments pay homage to deep sacrifice. A monument's size, location, and materials are all considerations in planning and creating a memorial to the past. Examples of such feats are the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and even Mount Rushmore. For the latter of the
The Korean War Veterans Memorial is an ominous depiction of an American squad on patrol alongside a 164 foot mural wall, to show that freedom is not free. The memorial is dedicated to those who served in the Korean War but more importantly those of them who were killed in action, are still missing in action, or were held as prisoners of war. The memorial was created by Frank Gaylord and Louis Nelson. The objective of the memorial is to remind the public of the dedication to the United States of the men and women who served in the Korean War. The memorial was designed to show the trials and tribulations that many of the military personnel faced during the war.
Not only are military heroes buried at Arlington, but memorials have also been built to honor others who have given their lives for America. The memorials that are located throughout Arlington tell a story about people throughout American history (Reef 43). Each year families walk the endless rows of white head stones at Arlington in order to pay their respects to the ones that have given their lives for America.
Washington, DC is a spectacular place. This being my first time in DC, I was in awe of everything and all the historical places I encountered. The presence of the monuments and history is what made the capitol so magnificent. Having only read about the Lincoln memorial, I never had the chance to experience the sensation of being inside such an honorable place of importance. The imposing white marble walls of the memorial and the many people surrounding it could be seen from afar. Arriving at the location, an unknown feeling came over me. I was experiencing history in a whole different level. When I think about a memorial, the term remembrance comes to mind. Seeing the statue of Abraham Lincoln brought pieces of memories from history class and evoked thoughts of what it might have felt like to be in his shoes. I was astonished by the statue’s enormousness and how grand Abraham Lincoln looked in his chair. The size of the statue compared to pictures from books and elsewhere was surreal. Abraham Lincoln was a very “powerful and prominent individual” in the history of our nation, the statue’s design and size reflected upon that. Looking around me, I wanted to know what the others thoughts were on seeing his statue and how they felt in that building. I finally had the courage to ask one or two people what they thought; they all had the same appreciation as me. Hearing about an important person or learning about them in a history book gives you vast knowledge but it doesn’t evoke the feeling of utter appreciation as the memorial does. When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, many people wanted to build a memorial in honor of him. They wanted to be able to show how important he was to shaping our nation and to “honor his existence”. Ce...
The Jefferson Memorial is a testimonial to the past, present, and future of the United States. Its architecture, like most neo-Classical buildings, gives a sense of permanence. This permanence has a history far older than many would suspect. Centuries ago and thousands of miles away a building was erected that would later become the model for which many other buildings, including the Jefferson Memorial, are based upon. This building is the Roman Pantheon. Though the Jefferson Memorial borrows the basic form and elements from the Pantheon, the Memorial has distinctive differences from its predecessor.
Everyday men are willing to lay down their lives for the honor of their country. Everyday foreigners are fighting to earn the right to be called an American. They do this to gain and fulfill the meaningful life of an American citizen. Memorial sculptures such as the Iwo Jima were established to honor the men that died fighting for the principles in which they believed. 2 This particular sculpture symbolizes a major victory for the American soldiers that helped liberate Jews from Nazi control.3 This country represents a strong independent nation, as well as a trustworthy...
After examining Sternfeld’s portafolio, i believe his photographs do show what a memorial is, and what it should do. The first photo shows Mount Rushmore national memorial, Mount Rushmore displays the faces of four great presidents and it's a symbol for us to remember our history and to learn who who those presidents were and what they did to earn their memorial site. The second picture shows a 1950’s grocery store. This particular memorial tells a story and shows how much racism was alive and how easy it was for a black person to lose its life over something really minor. It also shows how white men ran the political and judicial system. The third photogram shows the site of what used to be a research site for the United States army. The
Tom Van Putten served nine years in the U.S. Army, two of which were spent in Vietnam. In a phone interview with Tom, I asked him if he had ever visited the monument. In fact, he did and he discussed with me how hard it was to see a dozen names of men he knew that were put on that wall. "It's really an awesome monument; it is hard remembering what it was like coming home. I was definitely changed for life " (Van Putten).
In conclusion, the lengthy process involved in constructing the Washington Monument was one that, despite its difficulties and setbacks, has achieved the project’s initial goal: the impressive structure stands in the Nation’s Capital as “a memorial … worthy of the memory of George Washington.
Thousands of people visit that each year. Was it invading a graveyard to make a memorial for a catastrophe? I know a lot of people who would say no. People go into the 9/11 museum and pay their respects. When I went, I was amazed. I was too young to fully understand what happened myself, but going to the museum put everything into a terrible perspective for me. It taught me what my family had to go through and experience. It helped me feel all of the victim’s pain. If the Titanic was done the same justice, I think that kids like me could know what it was like to die in such a horribly unjust way, because it happened before any of us could truly understand what it was like at the
In the age of near-sentient technology, people often forget about the sacrifices made by the brave men and women to get us to where we are today. Most people know November 11th as “Remembrance Day”, or simply to mark the end of the first world war. Despite the general classifications of this day, the significance of this date is much greater than perceived. On this day, we remember and honour the military personnel who served, are currently serving, and those who will serve in the future. After listening to the stories of these peace keepers, I developed a distinct respect towards these heroes for the sacrifices and risks they took in the hopes of preserving the peace and prosperity back home were far greater than I had imagined.
In front of the wall, a stone has written on it, “Here we mark the price of freedom.” The memorial consists of bronze and granite. The designers chose these materials because they are water-resistant, aesthetically appealing, and
Monuments are a symbol of a significant time in history. Monuments represent life, death, success, and struggle just to name a few. They have become as important to society as the events they represent. They bring history alive to new generations and memories to those who experience them firsthand. Monuments create a bridge between generations. Many parents feel a certain indescribable joyfulness when they see the look in their child’s eyes they had went they viewed the same monument.