Stark Reality in Limestone

I looked up at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument 

last Saturday morning and caught a glimpse of 

the State Capitol building a couple blocks to the west.

The landmark is ever-present in the daily lives

of Indy residents, often used as a way to help others

find their way around town. "It's just off the Circle

on Market Street, about a half block east of the Monument," 

would be the easiest way to describe the location 

of the little shop where I had breakfast.

Completed in 1901, the monument was erected to 

commemorate the sacrifices made by Hoosier veterans

of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, 

the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, and the

Spanish-American War. 

One tends to take the presence of the figures 

for granted. The massed figures twisting and contorted

can be easily glossed over in passing, but I find them 

to be very graphic, especially during the winters.

It's then that the stark horrors of humans in combat

becomes as real to me as cold stone can depict.

I can almost hear the beating hearts of the snow-draped 

figures as they react to the screams, the weapons fire,

the pain of watching their friends die under their feet.

As a reminder of why wars are terrible, this

is not a pretty monument, easy to look at.

As an anti-war monument, it is beautiful. 

Snowy Minimalism

A couple inches of snow fell the other night, 

once again covering the city in a stark blanket that provides

no warmth. Scooped aside, the snow serves to

delineate the steps of the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, 

and provides discrete shading to the steel grid

radiating from the bases of the trees. 

Walkies!

During my walk on Wednesday around the downtown area, 

I stopped at a shop for a cup of coffee. While there, I set my camera 

on the table and clicked the shutter every once-in-a-while 

if an interesting grouping presented itself. 

Unfortunately, it was just after the lunch hour so the Circle

 was pretty bare and the results were nil to meh,

except for this man walking his English Bulldog in its

special pram. Bulldogs' shapes are deformed, 

they have breathing problems, and a fairly short

lifespan. This man was taking his buddy for a bit of air

on a cold day, wrapped in its sweater.

Last Friday marked the 50th anniversary of the lighting 

of the World's Tallest Christmas Tree. Strands of lights were 

hung from the Indianapolis War Memorial Monument

by volunteers from the International  Brotherhood

of Electrical Workers. Around its base, thousands of spectators

gathered to watch the entertainment before the tree

was switched on by a young girl who had won a coloring contest.

Santa Claus, accompanied by assistants, Frosty the Snowman, 

and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, strolled among the crowd,

visiting and posing for pictures with admirers of all ages.

Street peddlers, hawking light sabres, light sticks, and antlers decked 

with flashing lights, wandered the crowd the entire evening.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department used 

their mounted patrol to quietly keep watch over the throngs

of people. In recent years, the patrol has replaced

their earlier horses to improve their visibility at night, 

so that they are all now white, roan, or gray.

Awe and Happiness

Crowds of adults and children began gathering on Monument Circle 

in late afternoon to watch the lighting of the World's Tallest Christmas Tree.

Many had come down earlier to shop, to visit the museums, 

and to dine at numerous restaurants in the area, as well as at the 

many food trucks parked in the area. 

The event has progressed well beyond the inaugural year, 

when the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers strung the lights 

from the top of the Monument to its base, plugged it in for the duration,

then took it down after the New Year. No fanfare and "no big deal"

is now a local dancing and singing extravaganza, complete with visits from

Santa, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolph with his nose so bright. 

Sparkly Season

This evening was the fiftieth anniversary of the lighting 

of the "World's Tallest Christmas Tree."

Each year, lights are strung from the Indianapolis

War Memorial on the Circle, the surrounding trees are

wrapped in lights and candy canes and toy soldiers

are stationed all around. This is done the day after Thanksgiving,

which marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping

season, when all the most sparkly displays are

shown in the stores, the laciest camisoles, the most

satiny of bows - not to mention the most outlandish

gimcrackery, and gimmicky tools for the men. 

The Indianapolis Power & Light Company debuted

window displays, re-creating some of Norman Rockwell's

most famous Christmas illustrations.

The one above caught my eye because the figure

closely resembles my brother, Doug, who's

going to be pretty astonished to see himself depicted

astride a rocking horse. The second one shows a young

boy, fallen asleep while "Miracle on 34th Street"

plays on the family television.

Monumental Climb

Looking up at the south side of the Monument from it's base. It has been decorated
for the Christmas season with strands of lights. At night the lights resemble
a Christmas tree, with the statue of Victory serving as its "topper."

On Thursday, I went back to the Indianapolis Soldiers' 

and Sailors' Monument because I wanted to see 

downtown from the monument's viewing platform. 

A visitor has a choice whether they want to climb the 

narrow stairs to the top, 285 feet away, or ride the tiny elevator. 

I considered climbing the stairs, but the steps are unfriendly, 

with risers that are too steep for middle-aged knees.

Once inside, I actually found the interior of the Monument 

more interesting than the views. The stairs are narrow, barely wide 

enough for one person to use at a time; just before I left, 

I heard another woman get out of the elevator and waited for her 

at the top, as the stairwell was not wide enough for both of us.
I really liked the textured surface, hammered into 
the stone so long ago when the structure was built.

The elevator does not go all the way to the top,
requiring the visitor walk up another three stories,
using the narrow, steep staircase. When I emerged from the 
stairwell onto the platform, the first thing I noticed was
the red-painted orb which seems to serve as the central
point for a reinforcement system for the Monument.  

Pairs of steel bars have been installed in the walls, 
with two pair on each of the walls, extending the entire 
length of the structure. Unfortunately, there was no one available 
to explain the bars' exact function. I assume that they are meant
to control any shift or skew in the monument, say, due to
high winds or earthquakes.  

Shown below is one of the views from the platform, looking west
along Market Street towards the State Capitol Building.
The building center foreground is the Test Building, one of the first 
structures built for combined use as office space and 
automobile parking; the large blue rectangle is the 
J. W. Marriott Hotel; the blue speck just to the left of the 
Capitol dome is the Indianapolis Zoo, while the two parallel
beige lines are the old Washington Street Bridge, now part
of the River Promenade.

Looking west from the Monument, along Market Street
towards the State Capitol Building.

Revisiting the pigeon hat, um, hat. 
The street fowl warming itself on the statue
seems relaxed, oblivious to the fact that a pair of 
peregrine falcons use Victory as a perch,
from which they scope out unsuspecting pigeons
to become their next tasty treat.

Back to Church

Last night was my second visit to the Indiana Landmarks Center.

I went to hear a presentation by the architect and engineer responsible 

for the restoration of Victory, the statue atop the Indianapolis

Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. I was surprised to find that the

talk was also an AIA continuing education program.

I took a seat below the rotunda just so I could take the picture above.

The top picture was taken during the day and shows the ceiling's white

paint with gold trim. When it was restored, lighting was installed

to allow for changes according to the kind of event or 

wishes of the client. Last night, it was pink and gold although

I'd also seen blue and green. The painted decoration is a neutral scheme

which seems to adapt well to whichever lighting is selected.

This is the main entrance to the ILC's Cook Grand Theater, 

made up of three doors, the one shown being the largest.

Painstaking attention was paid to the entire building, 

with a lot of effort going into the restoration of the 

pipe organ, built in 1892 by Thomas Prentiss Sanborn.

The main sanctuary of the former Central Avenue Methodist Church

has been rechristened as the Cook Grand Theater and is available

for meetings, concerts and weddings. (Anybody up for a pink and gold

wedding with a beautiful pipe organ to provide the music?)

Sadly, not many pictures I took last night of the speakers 

were any good, but here is Tory Emery, the project

engineer in charge of Victory's restoration. She is employed by

Arsee Engineers, Incorporated of Fishers Indiana, which has 

long experience in the preservation of historic buildings.

Anybody got a statue they want shifted for repairs?