Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Street Memorial

Photo (c) 2008 by the Incorrigible Curmudgeon
The street memorial is a whimsically sad form of art which, if not unique to DC is certainly ubiquitous in DC.
Assembled in tribute to a recently deceased child who is just as likely to have been a hit-and-run victim as a victim of random street violence, these memorials usually consist of a photo, sometimes flowers, and stuffed animals tied or gaffer-taped to a lamp post. This one is on the corner of Sherman Avenue and Columbia Road, NW.
One of my students once did a photo essay on these types of memorials. I'm sure there's a coffee-table book in there somewhere for a photographer with the time and talent to more formally document this phenomenon.

3 comments:

Danielle Scruggs said...

I see these a lot in Baltimore more too. It's a sweet gesture and sad too.

Unrelated but I also love the photos you posted of HU from back in the day. Funny how The Wall is still the spot to see/be seen even now.

Dr. F. said...

Thanks, Danielle, and long livce the wall! :)

Lloyd said...

Please take a look at my ongoing blog documenting DC area street memorials
http://dcshrines.blogspot.com
Article in the Washington Post on my work on memorials:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/12/AR2008031202908.html?sub=AR
People's District:
http://peoplesdistrict.com/lloyd-on-washingtons-other-monuments
NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88392771
City Paper:
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/2556/shot-pursuit

Regards,
Lloyd Wolf