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Jefferson Memorial #2

Posted by
Steven (Chicagoland, United States) on 2 June 2010 in Architecture and Portfolio.

The Memorial's chance came to fruition in 1934 when President Franklin Roosevelt, an admirer of Jefferson himself, asked the Commission of Fine Arts about the possibility of erecting a memorial to Jefferson, including it in the plans for the Federal Triangle project, which was under construction at the time. Later the same year, Congressman John J. Boylan jumped off FDR's starting point and urged Congress to create the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission. Boylan was appointed the Commission's first chairman. Congress eventually appropriated $3 million for a memorial to Jefferson.

The Commission chose John Russell Pope as the architect in 1935. Pope was also the architect of the National Archives Building and original (west) building of the National Gallery of Art. He prepared four different plans for the project, each on a different site. One was on the Anacostia River at the end of East Capitol Street; one at Lincoln Park; one on the south side of the National Mall across from the National Archives; and one situated on the Tidal Basin, directly south of the White House. The Commission preferred the site on the Tidal Basin mainly because it was the most prominent site and because it completed the four-point plan called for by the McMillan Commission (Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol; White House to the Tidal Basin site). Pope designed a very large pantheon-like structure, to sit on a square platform, and to be flanked by two smaller, rectangular, colonnaded buildings.

Photo taken May 5, 2010.

SONY DSLR-A300 1/250 second F/13.0 ISO 100 70 mm

New photos posted on most Mondays through Thursdays.
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Cruz from exurbia, United States

This is a beautiful picture of a beautiful memorial. Thanks for bringing back fond memories of my time in WDC.

2 Jun 2010 6:31am

Tamara from Aarschot, Belgium

The water is as blue as the sky !!! So beautiful !

2 Jun 2010 7:29am

MARIANA from Waterloo, Canada

Love this frame much more than the same from yesterday !

2 Jun 2010 12:57pm

Antoine from France

Superb photo with a very nice sky. Have a lovely afternoon Steven.

2 Jun 2010 6:42pm

Steve Rice from Olympia, United States

The blues work so well with the white of the memorial. Beautiful!

2 Jun 2010 8:08pm

Linda from Riga/Sigulda, Latvia

very interesting to see sights of Washington, I actually had no idea it's so much inspired of the antique culture/classicism. Beautiful composition, the centering displays the harmony very well.

2 Jun 2010 8:14pm

Michael Rawluk from Williams Lake, BC, Canada

I guess there are no monuments to Jefferson in Texas. They don't even want to admit that he existed in their text books.

2 Jun 2010 10:50pm

Céline from New York City, United States

Very beautiful shot ! I love this place !

2 Jun 2010 11:03pm

Dutch from Chicagoland, United States

A perfect 5!!!!!!

3 Jun 2010 2:57am

Denny Jump from Easton, PA, United States

Hi Steven - I really lve the Jefferson Memorial as well and the funny thing is I captured 2 shots seems like virtually from the same positions that you did - mine were during the cherry blossom time of 2 years ago. Your images, however, are MUCH better in every way, they are just fantastic VERY nice work sir.

3 Jun 2010 12:15pm

flyingwind风飞扬 from Bridgetown, Barbados

Very clean and beautiful capture!

3 Jun 2010 11:30pm

MadScientist from Düsseldorf, Germany

Since I know the original building in Rome quite well, I'm astonished how different the impact is when it's being placed in a park landscape. Very appealing image!

5 Jun 2010 2:11pm

Earnest from Oklahoma, United States

A beautiful series.... excellently done.

5 Jun 2010 11:28pm

Othersideblue from Kerman, Iran

great photographic work !

and so beautiful.

Congratulation

2 Jul 2010 12:21pm