Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
Last week’s Sepia Saturday prompt featured a postcard of
Broad Street in Richmond, the capital of my state, Virginia. It was from the
early 20th century, probably about the same time that my great-grandparents
and their friends made a trip to Richmond.
A couple very old photos in the album belonging to my
grandaunt Helen Killeen Parker fascinated me. I can date the photos to before
1918 because that is the year my great-grandfather John Fleming Walsh died.
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| Possibly John Fleming Walsh and Mary Theresa Walsh |
My first thought was that they must have toured the
beautiful Monument Avenue which has long offered a scenic drive through the
city. Dotted every few blocks are monuments, most dedicated to the leaders of
the Civil War. The one exception is a statue erected to honor Arthur Ashe,
Richmond native tennis star.
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| George Washington Statue Richmond, VA |
When I saw this photo, I first thought it was of General
Robert E. Lee, but the position of the horse did not match. It is actually the
George Washington statue which is not even on Monument Avenue. Instead it stands
outside the state capitol and marks the terminus of Grace Street.
Only 3 monuments were in place on Monument Avenue when the Walshes and
friends made the trip. The neighborhood had only recently begun to come alive
with grand residential architecture and gardens. No wonder they took so few
photos. They probably were not very impressed.
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| Foreground - J.E.B. Stuart Monument (green-looking) Robert E. Lee Monument (black-looking) Way in the distance a column - Jefferson Davis Memorial |
Today, few will be impressed with Monument Avenue. Few
will remember the annual Monument Avenue 10K race or the spring time event, “Easter
on Parade” when locals strolled the avenue in beautiful hats and other finery. In
response to changing attitudes and standards, the statues were removed in early
July 2020.
Stroll along the avenue to Sepia Saturday.
Wendy
© 2020, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
I wondered about the statues. Sad they'll be removed. I guess better than being destroyed.
ReplyDeletebetty
I agree. I hope the statues will be put in a park with contextual signage or in a Confederate cemetery.
DeleteI don't know what the answer is about the statues all over the country but I sure hate seeing them destroyed. :-(
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings. I hate seeing the country respond in haste without thinking things through, but I'd rather see them moved than destroyed.
Delete