CHANGING MONUMENTS AND MONUMENTALITY

Abstract

Once famous as the “Monumental City,” the city of Baltimore, Maryland, provides
useful examples of the continuing reevaluation of public monuments. The meaning of some older
monuments, for instance, conflict with more recent public values. For instance, a laudatory statue of
Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney, author of the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision, is uncomfortably
located in Baltimore‟s most prominent public square. But the monument‟s position, place, and history
afford contemporary Baltimoreans with a unique opportunity for education about changing race
relationships. Three other examples, both historic and recent, reflect new approaches for understanding
monuments and memorials in their city context. An emphasis on the urban landscape, as a “medium” for
interpretation, suggests alternative methods for reconfiguring existing monuments for the benefit of
surrounding neighborhoods and the public discourse about those monuments‟ meaning