A Monument that Incorporates by Reference ....

I was just sitting here coding some of my Sussex County records and thought I'd take a break and look at some pictures from my trip to Sussex County's courthouse.  And I realized that the Confederate monument incorporates by reference the names of the soldiers from Sussex County who fought for the south.  I don't think I've ever seen this in a monument before -- I've seen lots of references on monuments to statutes.  That is, some monuments have law on them.  (And court opinions are sometimes spoken about as monuments.)  

But get this: Sussex County monument lists the "Companies organized in and sent out from Sussex County ...."  Its list includes the "Sussex Light Dragoons."  All scary sounding.  Very scary, actually, as I think the Greensville dragoons were the people responsible for "Black Head Signpost Road" in Southampton.  But back to my point: after listing the companies from Sussex, the monument concludes "For roll of members see records in the County Clerk's office."  How about that -- the monument incorporates the list of soldiers in the clerk's office.  The historian of memory in me very much wants to show up one day at the clerk's office and see if they still have the list.  I doubt I have the starch to do that because the people in the clerk's office would likely think I'm some kind of neo-Confederate nut.  They'd be wildly off in that assessment, of course.

I write about how constitutional ideas often flow off the page of "the Constitution," into the minds of citizens and how constitutional ideas are promoted by monuments and public events -- like addresses at the dedication of buildings, at college graduations, and at July Fourth celebrations.  But I've never seen before a monument connecting back to written records like this.  I mean this monument directs you exactly where to go to see the written record that it incorporates.

Comments

[Trussell]

Al,

I've been meaning to let you know about a terrifically interesting monument I saw in Belfast just a few weeks ago. As you know, I'm visiting in Ireland this year. I had visited the Titanic Museum, which is very interesting but I felt that it paid insufficient attention to negligence and, more importantly, to those who lost their lives.

As part of the Belfast Festival, a Brazilian artist named Nele Azevedo produced what she calls a "minimum monument." Members of the public, including my family and I, helped her install 1,517 little ice sculptures of sitting figures on the steps of the Custom house. (See the linked BBC story below.) The figures all sat together on the steps and then melted away, leaning into each other and making a little bit of noise as they disappeared.

This was remarkably powerful and interesting. Azevedo's minimum monument made me feel better about Belfast its history of Titanic.

For the BBC story, see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20020498 I also have a picture up on my FB page.

Tom Russell

[Bill Turnier]

Tom, thanks for telling us about the melting monument. The BBC story had nice pictures. It must have been moving to see it happen. The story alone is very moving.

[Alfred Brophy]

That's awesome, Tom. Very interesting story and form of remembering.

[mathana]

meaning to let you know about a terrifically interesting monument I saw in Belfast just a few weeks ago. As you know, I'm visiting in Ireland this year. I had visited the Titanic Museum, which is very interesting but I felt that it paid insufficient attention to negligence and, more impor

[Mercury]

"substantial progress." Most of the rules will be finalized by 2012, according to a January 12, 2012, report from CNBC. Issues remaining and under discussion are deri
www.isitdownjustforme.com

[St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyer]

That’s certainly an art. Some people really feel something deep in their heart and when they come up with any physical proof of that, the thing is simply a masterpiece most of the time. Once again, a great monument with touching story.