Marc Benton dot Com

FDR Memorial

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington DC is one of the newest memorials along the tidal basin.  A commission was established for the design and implemention of this monument in 1955 but the final design by Lawrence Halprin was chosen in 1978. The dedication occurred on May 2, 1997.

Spanning 7.5 acres it is divided into 4 sections, or rooms, one for each of FDR’s terms in office.  The design allows you to actually feel like you are walking through history. Framed by walls made from South Dakota red granite, the monument is filled with quotes, statues both of FDR and other scenes from the era, along with many many water cascades and pools.  Water was an important element in Halprin’s design due to the factor it played in his history, including the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Civilian Conservation Corps.

“I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded . . . I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed . . . I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war.”

Unlike other memorials of this type, the statues are not behind ropes or out of reach.  It is meant to be an interactive display allowing you to get up close and even touch the displays. I especially appreciated this when seeing FDR’s hand on the final statue where you can see what spot is the favorite for children to grab.

“We have faith that future generations will know that here, in the middle of the twentieth century, there came a time when men of good will found a way to unite, and produce, and fight to destroy the forces of ignorance, and intolerance, and slavery, and war.”

I used a 50mm 1.8 lens for all of these shots. Most of the photos were processed with a gaussian blur on the backgrounds and a neon glow overlay at 65% on the foregrounds to try and bring out the brass. Then minor cropping and small level adjustments were made.

This was my first trip to this memorial.  It was an extremely overcast day in the late afternoon.  Winter had just started making its way into DC and the wind coming off the Potomac was frigid.  I would have liked to change lens from time to time but my fingers didn’t want to cooperate.  Shivering as I was, I’m surprised any of these images were in focus.   I’m definitely returning in the Spring.

Note:  Please forgive the thumbnails below.  I’m looking to replace the built-in gallery to one that will not cut off the images.  Click through the gallery to see the whole pictures.

Related posts:

1. US National Arboretum – Post 2
2. More from Luray Caverns
3. Our Night at the Museum Too