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.
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3 comments:

  1. Danielle ScruggsFebruary 29, 2008 at 12:02 AM

    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.

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  2. Dr. F.April 4, 2008 at 11:06 AM

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

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  3. LloydJuly 23, 2011 at 8:44 PM

    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

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