Legacy of a President
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln may have a lot in common, but two things stand out: they were all Presidents of the United States, and they all have memorials in Washington DC. As Presidents, they are 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 16th respectively.
We represent our Presidents’ greatness through the tools of scale, architecture, written word, pose and expression, and light. These elements are not always present in the same amounts, but they all contribute to the overall perception of the memorial. To investigate them, I visited and photographed the memorials of the four Presidents listed above.
The scale of a memorial impresses upon us the size of the shadow cast in history by the President being represented. The Washington Monument is the most obvious starting place. It stretches an impressive 555 feet, 5 ½ inches towards the heavens, immediately catching the eye. The Lincoln Memorial is set upon a hill, with walls and columns that dwarf visitors. The seated statue of Lincoln is proportional to the building, and one feels as though he must be a great man by his stature alone. The Jefferson Memorial is also a grand building but the part of the scale that really works there is the statue. Jefferson is standing which makes his height seem all the more impressive. Andrew Jackson’s equestrian statue (He’s on a horse) is also larger than life. The pedestal upon which the statue is set is already tall, forcing the viewer to look up to see Jackson.
The architecture of the memorials is very reminiscent of ancient Greek and Egyptian styles, and associated with that is some measure of never-ending pride (Greek and Egyptian architecture are some of the grandest and longest lasting) for our Presidents. The Washington Monument very much resembles the great pyramids of ancient Egypt, yet is a very separate and unique tribute to a great man. Both Lincoln’s and Jefferson’s Memorials use Greek style columns: I saw Ionic and Doric. Jackson’s Statue doesn’t have as much “architecture” per se, but the pedestal upon which it rests could be said to exhibit some Egyptian architectural tendency.
The written word is a precise and powerful tool used to dedicate memorials and preserve forever the ideals of the President being represented, in his own words. Epitaphs are present at the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. E.g., from Lincoln’s, “IN THIS TEMPLE \ AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE \ FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION \ THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN \ IS ENSHRINED FOREVER”. Both have extensive texts written or spoken by Jefferson and Lincoln themselves. The Washington Monument has significantly less. In fact, the only inscription that does not have to do with the construction of the monument is written on the east side, “LAUS DEI”, which means “praise be to God” in Latin. The statue of Jackson bears the inscription, “OUR FEDERAL UNION, IT MUST BE PRESERVED”. This is fitting since the statue is obviously a tribute to Jackson’s wartime contributions with him mounted on a horse in full uniform and four cannons at the four corners of his pedestal.
In memorials with statues, it is evident as an observer that pose and expression have a lot to say. Looking up at Lincoln’s huge seated form, I am reminded of being a child at family gatherings. Lincoln is reminiscent of some patriarch of the family, an uncle or grandfather, sitting in a favorite armchair. He stares off into the distance with a serious look of contemplation, and you feel as though you shouldn’t disturb him. Jefferson stands tall and proud, chest out, hands loosely balled at his side, and as with Lincoln, looking off into the distance as though seeing more than eyes can. Jackson is astride a war horse which is reared up, and Jackson’s right hand holds forth his hat in a salute of sorts, but with the serious and sober look of a man fighting a war. The Washington Monument is particularly notable for its lack of any statue whatsoever. This seems to put George Washington on a higher plane than any of his more modern counterparts. The lack of a statue seems to say that he was much more a god than a man, and only accessible as an ideal of perfect proportions.
Light is as much a tool during the day as during the night to accent the memorial. The height of the front opening of the Lincoln memorial as well as what appeared to be sunlight filtering in from the ceiling affords excellent lighting during the day and there are light fixtures to provide illumination at night. The Jefferson memorial is open on four sides and allows light to fall on his statue and the carved words on the walls and there are several lights in the ceiling here as well. The Washington Monument and Jackson Statue are open air memorials, and are illuminated by the sun during the day. At night, the Washington Monument has powerful spotlights that shine up its sides and make it a pillar of light. The Jackson Statue, however, is NOT LIT AT ALL during the night, as is evident from my photographs. I believe that, as it represents a President, it should be lit. It’s a shame that the Metro is more well lit than a statue commemorating the accomplishments of a President.
When the elements discussed above are combined in the creation of a memorial, it is an amazing sight that brings history so much closer and more accessible to the average person and preserves the legacy of these great historical figures. The next time I visit a memorial, I’ll be better prepared to appreciate all the work that goes into making them.