Bronx Victory Memorial Analysis

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The Bronx Victory Memorial is an absolutely beautiful monument that is tucked away in a neatly maintained park on the side of a road that heads into City Island in the Bronx. Upon first glance the most striking feature on this memorial is a tall gilded statue with wings aloft a sky touching pillar. At the base of this pillar there are carvings of soldiers marching into battle and writing dedicating the memorial. Most people passing by in their car would not even know that it is a memorial to the individuals who fought in World War I that were from the Bronx. The only way to ascertain that information from the memorial would be to find a place to park and physically walk to the site. Having to go out of the way to get to the statue is kind…show more content…
The only information given to those who visit is a short one sentence dedication which is inscribed on the monuments base. The inscription dedicates the memorial to the people who gave their lives in World War I that were from the Bronx. Other than that one sentence there is not any other information given to those who visit. There are no additional city plaques or markers that tell the story of the monument. The lack of information does not seem to be a political move or some kind of agenda by those who built it. The monument comes off as a simple but elegant way to show appreciation for those who lost their lives. What would truly make the monument worthwhile as a place to visit would be to add some kind of information to the site that told the story of the people it was dedicated to. Although this would be a great improvement to the site it does not seem like it would happen because the overall motif of the site seems to be that of a simplistic one. This is also paired with the fact that it is also something people have to go out of their way to get to. With no places to park nearby the visitor rate to the memorial is most likely much lower than that of other monument sites throughout the city. Without a real calling or need for the site to have additional information physically there those who visit are forced to look at other sources to find out…show more content…
The monument is fairly simplistic in that there are not overly ornate parts to it, but it is glorious in its physical size and meaning. The narrative of victory that is given off by this enormous monument is clearly stated in its name. Unlike most memorials or monuments seen throughout New York City there isn’t an overwhelming political intent behind the site. If anything the monument feels almost as if the person who designed it wanted to find the best way to show appreciation for people's sacrifices rather than portray some kind of agenda. There are no tall buildings nearby that overshadow the monument as well. It is completely on its own on the side of a small double laned road. This ultimately adds a bit of mystery to the monument because there is not much in the way of context at the site as well. If anything this allows the viewers to play the role of a history detective and go out and read about the war. They than can piece together the relationship between the people of the area and the physical monument. This is quite charming in a sense because it allows people to piece together their own narrative for the site rather than force one upon those who visit. Since the site is dedicated to the people who fought in the war from a whole borough it is quite befitting that it allows people to attach their own meaning. From the perspective of a future

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