Memorials

Those who create monuments must consider how to enhance the emotional impact of the homage paid to those who have achieved and those who have passed, through a harmonious combination of materials, location, and historical significance. The Christopher Columbus Monument in Riverside Park, Easton, Pennsylvania is a perfect example of how the use of location can serve to enhance the monument. The placement of the monument is between some woods. On misty or foggy days, the monument mirrors the mysterious feelings Christopher Columbus must have had when he first arrived to North America. Materials also serve as an important piece of monument making that needs to be taken into consideration. The sculpture of Elroy Johnson "was supposed to be cast in bronze" (Roadside America) but ended up only having "a coat of bronze paint [slapped] over the plaster model" (Roadside America). The lack of adequate materials caused Elroy Johnson's sculpture to end up as the laughing stock of monuments and pay no respect to Elroy Washington as a Lobsterman. However, in Maya Lin's Vietnam memorial, she used "black granite in order to make the surface reflective and peaceful" (Lin). Her brilliant use of appropriate materials resulted in one of Washington D.C.'s most famous memorials. The reflective granite allows people admiring the monument to see themselves in the names of those inscribed into the wall, thus allowing them to see that everybody is capable of doing honorable and courageous things.  Historical significance must also be taken into account when building a monument. Take for example Crazy Horse. To most people, it would simply be an extravagant sculpture of an Native American general because "they wouldn't know the differences among Indian tribes, or care"(Lawrence). However, to those of the Sioux tribe, he is a huge portion of their history. To them, he is the man who stood up against encroachment of Indian land. He deserves respect and reverence for all that he has achieved.