Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object Type |
Survey |
Title |
Public Monument/Historic Survey Marker Survey |
Scope & Content |
Survey of Charleston memorials, monuments, statues, and other public tributes done by Katherine Pemberton (HCF) and interns in the summer of 2018. Undertaken in the wake of the debate over issues related to contested symbols of the past, which peaked after the 2015 murders of at Emanuel A.M.E. Church and after white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017 against the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee. These events and others raised several questions about how has the past been interpreted in Charleston; how should its history be interpreted and remembered; who gets to decide; should particular monuments erected to celebrate an event or person from the past be reevaluated for its present-day relevance or should it be removed if its presence in the public square is offensive or should that monument be edited or changed to provide additional context? Historic Charleston Foundation's position is that in order to make informed decisions about how or whether to add or subtract monuments/markers from the cityscape, these public displays needed to be identified. In late December 2017, HCF staff began this marker/monument survey on the Charleston peninsula and identified 110 markers, plaques, monuments, statues, busts and objects and created this database in which each marker/monument has been categorized so that they may be quantified. For example, how many relate to African American history or commemorate various wars? What time periods are most represented in our monuments to the past? Who placed those markers and monuments and when were they placed? Preliminary results suggest that there are indeed areas of our shared history that deserve more attention. We hope to refine the survey through additional research, photographic documentation and the creation of a map this summer. Once completed, it is hoped that the database will help inform decision-making about moving forward with this issue. (Katherine Pemberton, March 2018 post.) Collection consists of the monument/marker survey (Microsoft Access database) and photographs (on DVD). |
Date |
2018 |
Subjects |
Public sculpture--South Carolina--Charleston Monuments--South Carolina--Charleston Statues--South Carolina--Charleston Memorials--South Carolina--Charleston Fountains--South Carolina--Charleston Plaques--South Carolina--Charleston |
Physical Description |
Access Database and photograph files on DVD |
Related Records |
Show Related Records... |
Object ID # |
2019.001.01 |