Pigeon droppings aside, most of us would jump at the chance to have a statue erected in our honor. True, having one’s self perpetuated in stone or bronze does not necessarily ensure eternal veneration. Times and heroes change. Statues of Lenin in the former Soviet Union are as scarce as, well, statues of Lenin in the former Soviet Union. And we all remember the soldiers wrapping Old Glory around that rather coarse rendering of Saddam before giving it the old heave-ho.
In spite of counter-revolution and the fickle public, most monuments are meant to last, whether obelisk, statue, mausoleum, arch, battlefield or, as in Arizona, an actual valley. If you don’t want to be forgotten, nothing works like having your name carved on a slab of stone.
The cake-taker for a monument to the ego would have to be the Great Pyramid at Giza built as a tomb for Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu. Finished in 2560 BC, it is the oldest and only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the World. During its construction an entire town was built for the workers. It included a brewery and, ironically, a cemetery.
Then there is the emperor of the Mughal Empire, Shah Jahan, who, inconsolable at the death of his wife, expressed his sadness architecturally with what many consider the most beautiful and romantic monument to love ever constructed, the Taj Mahal. Thank heaven there was no such thing as grief counseling in 17th century India.
Although most monuments are meant to call attention to what or who is being memorialized, the Boot Monument in Sarasota, New York scrupulously avoids mentioning the man it honors. Erected in 1887, this carving of a boot commemorates the actions of a courageous soldier who lost his foot in the Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolutionary War. His bravery, his wound, and the significance of his success in battle are inscribed in stone for all to see. But nowhere will you find his name – Benedict Arnold.
At FootageBank, we are in the business of supplying you with lasting images in unforgettable High Definition. To view and download monument clips, click here.
