A few months ago I wrote about photographing Civil War monuments around Brooklyn for an exhibition in the fall. Well, it’s finally happening, and I’ve gotten out several times with my view camera to take pictures. If all goes well, my photographs will comprise a unified series of contemporary views of Brooklyn monuments, which will be juxtaposed against historical materials in an exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library.

Grand Army Plaza (4×5 film)

The most important Civil War monument site in Brooklyn is Grand Army Plaza, which includes the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch and adjacent statues. The arch was designed by John Duncan, and the main sculptural groupings were done by Frederick MacMonnies. MacMonnies did the wonderful Nathan Hale statue now standing in front of City Hall. Go here for my photograph of it.

Grand Army Plaza from Prospect Park (4×5 film)

Grand Army Plaza is something of a mess today–Parisian Etoile it is not. The arch, though quite massive, can’t compete with the 12 lanes of traffic roaring around it. Pedestrians will find few crosswalks to the central oval island, so people routinely risk life and limb dashing across the acres of pavement. I did numerous pictures of the arch, from near and far, but am most satisfied with a couple of views from just within Prospect Park. In one, I stacked several monuments in a row: a sculpture of James S.T. Stranahan, the founder of Prospect Park, one of the four eagle-topped columns, and the arch.