The Shaw Memorial at Boston National Historical Park will be taken down temporarily for restoration work/NPS
On October 15 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. the City of Boston, Friends of the Public Gardens, Museum of African American History and the National Park Service will announce the partnership to support the multi-million dollar restoration project of the Shaw Memorial, a memorial seen as a powerful narrative of equal rights and social justice.
The bas-relief memorial was created by the American sculptor, Augustus Saint Gaudens. It is a monument that honors the brave men of the 54th Regiment, the first regiment of black troops recruited in the North to fight for their freedom in the Civil War. Led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the 54th Regiment led the assault on the Confederate Fort Wagner, part of the Charleston defenses. Shaw was shot through the chest and died almost immediately. Of the 600 men of the 54th in the attack that day, there were 285 casualties.
Today, the Shaw Memorial stands as a reminder of Boston’s central role in the campaign to end slavery, the demand for equal rights for all, and the sacrifices made by so many.
Built with private funds and donated to the City of Boston in 1897, the Shaw Memorial is in need of substantial work for restoration and stabilization. Work will commence in the spring of 2020 for a period of 5-6 months. The bronze and stone memorial will be removed from the base, taken offsite to a conservation studio, new waterproofing will be installed under the plaza’s brick, and a new concrete foundation will be built under the bronze.
Upon completion of the stabilization, the Shaw Memorial will be returned to its “home” and this important piece of America’s history will continue to be an inspiration to present and future generations working together in advancing the cause of equality and justice for all. The City of Boston and Friends of the Public Garden provided 50 percent of funding and the National Park Service, through the Helium Fund, provided the other 50 percent.
Immediately following the program on October 15, Ranger Ryan McNabb will lead a 90-minute facilitated walk along the Black Heritage Trail® that looks at the leading efforts of the African American community in Boston in the movement to abolish slavery and years leading up to the Civil War. This walk navigates one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. Sidewalks can often be narrow and uneven. Comfortable footwear is recommended.
The Shawmobile will be at Boston Common from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to” meet” individual men from the 54th Regiment through an interactive, touch screen, digital display of images and biographical information for some of the men of the 54th.
National Park Service rangers will be on hand to unveil an augmented reality app that will offer a whole new way of experiencing and interacting with the Shaw Memorial and its layered significance during the restoration phase and well beyond. Visitors will be able to download and experience the Shaw 54 app.
An American Sign Language interpreter will be available. In the event of inclement weather the program will be moved to the Massachusetts State House, located across the street from the Memorial.
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Comments
So good to see..one of the most iconic pieces of public art in America. Just something we all should be proud of and the partnerships involved to make this happen are a great testament to the collaborative spirit in great cities like Boston!
Good to hear that this the premier public sculpture in America is getting the conservation work it deserves and has long needed. Perhaps there is some way to secure Shaw's sword, which vandals have snapped off more times than I remember. Also, I hope the Park Service will be able to prevent the City of Boston winter removal crews from piling snow in the small brick plaza in front of the bronze. One year the dumped snow and road dirt was so high it reached the horses hoofs (I'm not making it up) -- in effect the plaza in front of the only monument these soldiers ever had became a City of Boston dumping ground. Scandalous, but no one seemed to care.
BTW, the bronze is not just a bas-relief, though part of it are in bas-relief. The foreground figures are in haut-relief and Shaw and his mount are sculpted in the round.