Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial | |
U.S. National Memorial | |
Location | National Mall, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
---|---|
Coordinates | 38°53′21.4″N 77°3′0.5″W / 38.889278°N 77.050139°W |
Area | 27,336 square feet (2,539.6 m2) |
Built | 1914–1922 |
Architect | Henry Bacon (architect) Daniel Chester French (sculptor) |
Architectural style | Greek Revival[1] |
Visitation | 8,099,148 (2023)[2] |
Website | Lincoln Memorial |
NRHP reference No. | 66000030[1] |
Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
The Lincoln Memorial is a
Like other monuments on the National Mall – including the nearby Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and World War II Memorial – the national memorial is administered by the National Park Service under its National Mall and Memorial Parks group. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since October 15, 1966, and was ranked seventh on the American Institute of Architects' 2007 list of America's Favorite Architecture. The memorial is open to the public 24 hours a day, and more than seven million people visit it annually.[4]
History
construction and dedication
The first public memorial to
The matter lay dormant until the start of the 20th century, when, under the leadership of
There were questions regarding the commission's plan. Many thought architect Henry Bacon's Greek temple design was far too ostentatious for a man of Lincoln's humble character. Instead, they proposed a simple log cabin shrine. The site too did not go unopposed. The recently reclaimed land in
With Congressional approval and a $300,000 allocation, the project got underway. On February 12, 1914, contractor M. F. Comer of Toledo, Ohio; resident member of the memorial's commission, former Senator Joseph C. S. Blackburn of Kentucky; and the memorial's designer, Henry Bacon conducted a groundbreaking ceremony by turning over a few spadefuls of earth.
Memorial’s Impact
Sacred space
The Memorial has become a symbolically sacred venue, especially for the Civil Rights Movement. In 1939, the
On August 28, 1963, the memorial grounds were the site of the
Twenty years later, on August 28, 1983, crowds gathered again to mark the 20th Anniversary Mobilization for Jobs, Peace and Freedom, to reflect on progress in gaining civil rights for African Americans and to commit to correcting continuing injustices. King's speech is such a part of the Lincoln Memorial story, that the spot on which King stood, on the landing eighteen steps below Lincoln's statue, was engraved in 2003 in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the event.[17]
At the memorial on May 9, 1970, President
The Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.[19]
Exterior
The exterior of the Memorial echoes a classic
Above the colonnade, inscribed on the
The Memorial is anchored in a concrete foundation, 44 to 66 feet (13 to 20 m) in depth, constructed by M. F. Comer and Company and the National Foundation and Engineering Company, and is encompassed by a 187-by-257-foot (57 by 78 m) rectangular granite retaining wall measuring 14 feet (4.3 m) in height.[20]
Leading up to the shrine on the east side are the main steps. Beginning at the edge of the Reflecting Pool, the steps rise to the Lincoln Memorial Circle roadway surrounding the edifice, then to the main portal, intermittently spaced with a series of platforms. Flanking the steps as they approach the entrance are two buttresses each crowned with an 11-foot (3.4 m) tall tripod carved from pink Tennessee marble[20] by the Piccirilli Brothers.[21] There are a total of 87 steps (58 steps from the chamber to the plaza and 29 steps from the plaza to the Reflecting Pool).[22]
Interior
The Memorial's interior is divided into three chambers by two rows of four
The Memorial is replete with symbolic elements. The 36 columns represent the states of the Union at the time of
The ceiling consists of bronze girders ornamented with laurel and oak leaves. Between these are panels of Alabama marble, saturated with paraffin to increase translucency. But feeling that the statue required even more light, Bacon and French designed metal slats for the ceiling to conceal floodlights, which could be modulated to supplement the natural light; this modification was installed in 1929. The one major alteration since was the addition of an elevator for the disabled in the 1970s.[24]
Undercroft
Below the memorial is an undercroft. Due to water seeping through the calcium carbonate within the marble, over time stalactites and stalagmites have formed within it.[25] During construction, graffiti was scrawled on it by workers,[26][27] and is considered historical by the National Park Service.[26] During the 1970s and 1980s, there were regular tours of the undercroft.[28] The tours stopped abruptly in 1989 after a visitor noticed asbestos and notified the Service.[29] For the memorial's centennial in 2022, the undercroft is planned to be open to visitors following a rehabilitation project funded by David Rubenstein.[30][31]
Statue
IN THIS TEMPLE |
—Epitaph by Royal Cortissoz |
Lying between the north and south chambers of the open-air Memorial is the central hall, which contains the large solitary figure of Abraham Lincoln sitting in contemplation. Its sculptor, Daniel Chester French, supervised the six Piccirilli brothers (Ferruccio, Attilio, Furio, Masaniello, Orazio, and Getulio) in its construction, and it took four years to complete.
The 175-short-ton (159 t) statue, carved from Georgia white marble, was shipped in 28 pieces.[24] Originally intended to be only 10 feet (3.0 m) tall, the sculpture was enlarged to 19 feet (5.8 m) from head to foot considering it would look small within the extensive interior space.[32] If Lincoln were depicted standing, he would be 28 feet (8.5 m) tall.
The widest span of the statue corresponds to its height, and it rests upon an oblong pedestal of Tennessee marble 10 feet (3.0 m) high, 16 feet (4.9 m) wide, and 17 feet (5.2 m) deep. Directly beneath this lies a platform of Tennessee marble about 34.5 feet (10.5 m) long, 28 feet (8.5 m) wide, and 6.5 inches (0.17 m) high. Lincoln's arms rest on representations of Roman fasces, a subtle touch that associates the statue with the Augustan (and imperial) theme (obelisk and funerary monuments) of the Washington Mall.[33] The statue is discretely bordered by two pilasters, one on each side. Between these pilasters, and above Lincoln's head, is engraved an epitaph of Lincoln[24] by Royal Cortissoz.[34]
Sculptural features
An urban legend holds that the face of General Robert E. Lee is carved onto the back of Lincoln's head,[35] and looks back across the Potomac toward his former home, Arlington House (now within the bounds of Arlington National Cemetery). Another popular legend is that Lincoln's hands are shown using sign language to represent his initials, his left hand signing an A and his right signing an L. The National Park Service denies both legends.[35]
However, historian Gerald Prokopowicz writes that, while it is not clear that sculptor Daniel Chester French intended Lincoln's hands to be formed into sign language versions of his initials, it is possible that French did intend it. French was familiar with American Sign Language, and he would have had a reason to do so, to pay tribute to Lincoln for having signed the federal legislation giving Gallaudet University, a university for the deaf, the authority to grant college degrees.[36] The National Geographic Society's publication "Pinpointing the Past in Washington, D.C." states that Daniel Chester French had a son who was deaf and that the sculptor was familiar with sign language.[37][38] Historian James A. Percoco has observed that, although there are no extant documents showing that French had Lincoln's hands carved to represent the letters "A" and "L" in American Sign Language, "I think you can conclude that it's reasonable to have that kind of summation about the hands."[39]
In popular culture
As one of the most prominent American monuments, the Lincoln Memorial is often featured in books, films, videogames, and television shows that take place in Washington; by 2003 it had appeared in over 60 films,[40] and in 2009, Mark S. Reinhart compiled some short sketches of dozens of uses of the Memorial in film and television.[41]
Some examples of films include Frank Capra's 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, where in a key scene the statue and the Memorial's inscription provide inspiration to freshman Senator Jefferson Smith, played by James Stewart.[42] The Park Service did not want Capra to film at the Memorial, so he sent a large crew elsewhere as a distraction while a smaller crew filmed Stewart and Jean Arthur inside the Memorial.[43]
Many of the appearances of the Lincoln Memorial are actually digital visual effects, due to restrictive filming rules.[44] As of 2017, according to the National Park Service, "Filming/photography is prohibited above the white marble steps and the interior chamber of the Lincoln Memorial."[45]
Mitchell Newton-Matza said in 2016 that "Reflecting its cherished place in the hearts of Americans, the Lincoln Memorial has often been featured prominently in popular culture, especially motion pictures."[46] According to Tracey Gold Bennett, "The majesty of the Lincoln Memorial is a big draw for film location scouts, producers, and directors because this landmark has appeared in a considerable number of films."[47]
Jay Sacher writes:
From high to low, the memorial is cultural shorthand for both American ideals and 1960s radicalism. From Forrest Gump's Zelig-like insertion into anti-war rallies on the steps of the memorial, to the villainous Decepticon robots discarding the Lincoln statue and claiming it as a throne. ... The memorial's place in the culture is assured even as it is parodied.[44]
Depictions on U.S. currency
From 1959 (the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth) to 2008, the memorial, with statue visible through the columns, was depicted on the reverse of the United States one-cent coin, which since 1909 has depicted a bust of Lincoln on its front.[48]
The memorial has appeared on the back of the U.S. five-dollar bill since 1929.[49] The front of the bill bears Lincoln's portrait.
See also
- Cultural depictions of Abraham Lincoln
- Architecture of Washington, D.C.
- List of areas in the United States National Park System
- List of national memorials of the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in the District of Columbia
- Presidential memorials in the United States
References
Informational notes
Citations
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "Annual Park Ranking Report for Recreation Visits in: 2023". nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
- ^ "Lincoln Memorial National Memorial; Washington, DC National Park Service
- ^ "Annual Park Recreation Visitation (1904 – Last Calendar Year)" National Park Service
- ^ "Renovation and Expansion of the Historic DC Courthouse" (PDF). DC Court of Appeals. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
- ^ "Washington's Lincoln: The First Monument to the Martyred President". The Intowner. Archived from the original on 14 January 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ a b c NRHP Nomination, p. 4
- ISBN 069101194X
- ^ "Image 1 of Evening star (Washington, D.C.), February 12, 1914". Library of Congress. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ NRHP Nomination, p. 5
- ISBN 978-1-4696-0721-4.
- ^ "Eleanor Roosevelt and Marian Anderson". FDR Presidential Library & Museum. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
- ^ Glass, Andrew (2018-06-29). "Truman addresses NAACP, June 29, 1947". Politico. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
- Journal of Negro Historyv.82 pp.408–416.
- OCLC 894936463.
- ISBN 9780385483278
- ^ "Stand Where Martin Luther King, Jr. Gave the "I Have a Dream" Speech". National Park Service. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
- ^ Director: Joe Angio (2007-02-15). Nixon a Presidency Revealed (television). History Channel.
- ^ NRHP Nomination, p. 6
- ^ a b c d e NRHP Nomination, p. 2
- United States Government Printing Office
- ^ "Lincoln Memorial - Frequently Asked Questions". National Park Service. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ U. S. Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks. Lincoln Memorial Building Statistics
- ^ a b c d NRHP Nomination, p. 3
- United Press (August 28, 1957) "Lincoln Memorial has some stalactites" Lodi News-Sentinel
- ^ a b Avery, Jim (July 19, 2017). "5 World-Famous Landmarks That Have Totally Weirdo Secrets". Cracked. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ Rivera and Weinstein, Gloria and Janet (September 2, 2016). "Take a 'Historic Graffiti' Tour Under the Lincoln Memorial". ABC News. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ Hodge, Paul (October 27, 1977) "What's Afoot Under Abe Lincoln's Feet?" The Washington Post
- ^ Twoomey, Steve (April 9, 1990) "Monuments Losing Battle with Erosion" The Washington Post
- ^ Staff (ndg) "Lincoln Center Rehabilitation" National Park Service website
- ^ Reid, Chip (November 23, 2016) "Lincoln Memorial to get long-awaited makeover, underground visitor's center" CBS News
- ISBN 978-1-4000-6582-0.
- ^ See Buchner, Edmund (1976). "Solarium Augusti und Ara Pacis", Römische Mitteilungen 83: 319–375; (1988). Die Sonnenuhr des Augustus: Kaiser Augustus und die verlorene Republik (Berlin); P. Zanker The Augustan Program of Cultural Renewal Archived 2012-05-30 at archive.today for a full discussion of the Augustan solarium and its architectural features.
- ^ "Lincoln Memorial Design Individuals". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
- ^ a b "Lincoln Memorial: Frequently Asked Questions" on the National Park Service website
- ISBN 978-0-375-42541-7
- ISBN 0-7922-7499-7
- ^ Library.gallaudet.edu Archived 2009-01-04 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Percoco, James A., speech given on April 17, 2008, in the Jefferson Room of the National Archives and Records Administration as part of the National Archive's "Noontime Programs" lecture series. Broadcast on the C-Span cable television network on April 4 and April 5, 2009. Archived January 26, 2021, at the Wayback Machine c-spanvideo.org
- ISBN 9780595267972
- ISBN 978-0-7864-5261-3.
- ^ Toney, Veronica (September 17, 2015). "It's not just 'Forrest Gump.' The National Mall has had an iconic role in many movies". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ISBN 9780595267972
- ^ ISBN 9781452131986. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
- ^ "Permit FAQS" National Park Service
- ISBN 9781610697507.
- ISBN 9781439642764.
- ISBN 978-0-7948-2264-4.
- ^ "$5" (PDF). U.S. Currency Education Program. United States Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 28, 2018. Retrieved 2018-05-28.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-1-4000-6582-0
- Hufbauer, Benjamin (2006) Presidential Temples: How Memorials and Libraries Shape Public Memory. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0700614222.
- Pfanz, Donald C. (March 4, 1981). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form: Lincoln Memorial". National Park Service. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- Journal of American HistoryVol. 80, No. 1, pp. 135–167
External links
External videos | |
---|---|
Laser Scan: Lincoln Memorial (0:33), DJS Associates from the Lincoln Memorial Project |
- Lincoln Memorial homepage (NPS)
- Lincoln Memorial Panoramic Tour
- "Trust for the National Mall: Lincoln Memorial". Trust for the National Mall. Archived from the original on 2011-06-12.
- "Colorado Yule Marble – Building Stone of the Lincoln Memorial;" (PDF). US Geological Survey – Bulletin 2162; 1999.
- "Lincoln Memorial Drawings". National Park Service. 1993. Archived from the original on 2008-10-16.
- Other Proposed Designs for the Lincoln Memorial
- "American Icons: The Lincoln Memorial". Studio 360. Episode 1637. New York. September 10, 2015 [February 19, 2010]. Public Radio International. WNYC. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015. How the Lincoln Memorial became an American icon.