Looking along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to the Washington Monument
In this memorial-laden city, it is easy to think of the various monuments as inevitable, the only way to properly honor the historic figures to which they are dedicated. But in truth, argues Martin Moeller, senior curator at The Building Museum, memorials say more about the ethos of the era in which they are built than they do about the event or person being memorialized.
For instance, the Washington Monument wasn't completed until 85 years after George Washington died. Ongoing arguments about the monument, which ranged from who should pay for it to what it should look like, said more about the times than about the man. On the other hand, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was completed relatively soon after the end of the war. Its design was certainly controversial at the time, but the black granite wall is one of the most beloved and moving memorials anywhere.
Today, construction has begun on the Eisenhower Memorial, which has been delayed for years by disagreements over design and location. And our current social climate is informing the fate of Confederate monuments, often erected to reinforce Jim Crow culture rather than to honor long-dead generals.
So where do memorials stand today? What do contemporary designs and issues say about our times? And how should they reflect narratives that resonate with the public? The answers, as Moeller explains, are not carved in stone.
