Testament to Union: Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C.
Language: English
Published by Johns Hopkins, 1998
- Hardcover
- Used

Seller: Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA
AbeBooks seller since February 25, 1998
Condition: Used
US$ 9.00
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
Cloth, d.j. Some shelf-wear. Else clean copy.
Seller Inventory # 1805624
- Title
- Testament to Union: Civil War Monuments in Washington, D.C.
- Author
- Kathryn Allamong Jacob
- Publisher
- Johns Hopkins
- Publication year
- 1998
- Condition
- Used-Very Good
- Dust jacket
- Dust Jacket Included
- Binding
- hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0801858615
- ISBN 13
- 9780801858611
- Edition
- 1st Printing.
- Item weight
- 1.4 pounds
- Dimensions
- 10H x 7L x 0.78W
- Seller catalogs
- Architecture & Urban Design
Kathryn Jacob's fascinating guide to Washington's many Civil War monuments―featuring the work of Maryland's Vanishing Lives photographer Edwin Remsberg.
Although the monuments of Washington, D.C., honor more than two centuries of history and heroes, five years of that history produced more of the city's public commemorative sculpture than all the others combined. The heroes of the Civil War command Washington's choicest vantage points and most visible parks, lending their names to the city's most familiar circles and squares―Scott, Farragut, Logan, Sheridan, Dupont, and others.
In Testament to Union, Kathryn Allamong Jacob tells the stories behind the many District of Columbia statues that honor participants in the Civil War, predominantly Union, and testify to their sacrifice and valor. In her introduction, Jacob puts these monuments in historical context, describing the often bitter battles over control of historical memory, the postwar monument business (a lone soldier-in-granite model could cost a community as little as $1,000), and the rise of the "city beautiful" movement that transformed Washington. She then offers individual descriptions of forty-one sculptures, providing a lively and informative guide to some of Washington's most beautiful and moving works of art.
Organized geographically for easy use on walking or driving tours, the entries begin by listing the subject or title of the memorial along with its sculptor, medium, date, and location. Jacob describes its various elements and symbols, and she notes who commissioned the sculpture, who paid for it (or failed to pay in several cases), and who approved its design and placement. She also includes anecdotes and controversies that bring the monuments and their colorful history more fully to life. Admiral David Farragut's statue, for example, is cast from the propeller of his ship the U.S.S. Hartford, from whose rigging he shouted, "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!" during the battle of Mobile Bay. At the dedication of Lincoln Park's Emancipation Monument in 1876, the largest assembly of African-American to date, speaker Frederick Douglass shocked white listeners with thinly veiled criticism of the martyred Lincoln.
Edwin Remsberg's photographs of the monuments capture striking images of war and sacrifice―the straining horses and terrified men of the cavalry grouping at the Grant Monument; the vivid tomb effigy of young John Meigs, depicting him as he was found dead in a field; the Pension Building frieze with its hundreds of finely detailed terra cotta soldiers and sailors marching and rowing across the face of the building. Along with swashbuckling generals atop pedestals bristling with cannon, unexpected subjects appear. A statue of John Ericsson, the Swedish-American who designed the Monitor and perfected the screw propeller for the Union Navy, is hidden in a circle of shrubbery beside the Potomac. A bas-relief of twelve nuns dedicated to the memory of various religious orders who nursed the wounded during the Civil War sits beside noisy Rhode Island Avenue. In addition to the enormous white temple to Lincoln on the Mall, four smaller statues of that president can be found in the city where he was assassinated.
Washington's Civil War sculptures bear silent witness to the struggle to preserve the Union. They are the fruit of conscious efforts to shape the nation's memory of that struggle. For tourists and long-time residents, and for anyone interested in the Civil War or public art, Testament to Union is a wonderful guide to these tangible connections to the nation's past and an era when public monuments packed powerful messages.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Edwin Harlan Remsberg is a photographer who lives in Fallston, Maryland. His photographs appear in Maryland's Vanishing Lives, also published by Johns Hopkins.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA
Chicago, IL, U.S.A.
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 5 to 14 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | US$ 5.00 | US$ 5.00 |
Payment methods
Store description
Independent Bookstores since 1971.
Specialty
Philosophy, Medieval Studies, Art & Architecture, Mathematics & Physics, Literary Criticism, Ancient History, Social Sciences, Americana, Theology, Anthropology & ArchaeologyAssociation member
Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.Seller's business information
Powell's Bookstores Chicago, ABAA
1501 E. 57th Street
Chicago, IL U.S.A. 60637
Terms of sale
All items subject to prior sale. No questions asked refunds within 30 days. For shipping rates, click "Shipping: Rates & Speed" above. Powells Bookstore Inc., 1501 E 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637; catorders@powellschicago.com; 773-955-7780. VAT: N/A.
Shipping terms
Orders ship within 2 business days. Domestic standard orders shipped via
USPS Media Mail; Domestic Expedited orders shipped via FedEx or UPS
Ground. All International orders shipped via courier, typically arriving
within 7-21 business days. Expedited and Standard International rates are the
same.