Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capital [Hardcover]

James M. Goode (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 21, 2009

This sweeping study takes readers on a fascinating tour of Washington, D.C.’s monuments, statues, headstones, and memorials. James M. Goode canvasses more than 500 sculptural pieces, often overlooked by residents and visitors, and presents critical discussions and detailed histories of each work. The result is a graphic history of the cultural, political, and military contributions of America’s greatest leaders.

Washington Sculpture revises and updates Goode’s classic 1974 book The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., expanding its survey to include pieces found in nearby Maryland and Virginia, unusual cemetery sculpture, and monuments recently erected on the National Mall—the National WWII Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Chapters explore the city's fourteen neighborhoods as well as the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.

Both a guide for visitors and a reference for serious historians, Washington Sculpture offers the most comprehensive examination of urban sculpture in the nation's capital.

(2009)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Quirky details... are what make the new edition... so captivating.

(John Kelly Washington Post 2009)

Handsome new volume... An important addition is an exploration of the city's fourteen neighborhoods as well as the Maryland and Virginia suburbs.

(Steve Goddard History Wire - Where the Past Comes Alive 2009)

The historic and cultural significance of each sculpture is written with heart, but it's the stories of the subjects portrayed in bronze that are the most intriguing reads.

(Andrea Cohen Roll Call 2010)

A significant reference work.

(Choice )

A heroic effort and it is hard to stop leafing through it.

(RALPH: Review of Arts, Literature, Philosophy, and the Humanities )

About the Author

James M. Goode, a historian of the art and architecture of Washington, D.C., is also the author of Capital Losses: A Cultural History of Washington's Destroyed Buildings and Best Addresses: A Century of Washington's Distinguished Apartment Houses.

(2009)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 848 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (January 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801888107
• ISBN-13: 978-0801888106
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.4 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #548,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Capital!, April 2, 2009

By 

Christian Schlect (Yakima, Washington/USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capital (Hardcover)

A splendid book for any resident or frequent visitor to Washington, D.C. Those interested in urban planning and outdoor sculpture, no matter what their ties to the capital, also will find it a good addition to their libraries.

The short background pieces vary, but most give some degree of information on the sculptor, his (or her) corpus of work, and the historical or artistic subject represented. One can learn much history by reading about the artworks and great neighborhoods covered by this book.

James M. Goode has performed a public service with this comprehensive survey of the outdoor art of our national city.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A precious stone..., February 13, 2009

By 

Timothy P. Scanlon (Hyattsville, MDUSA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capital (Hardcover)

Thanks, James, Cliff and Alex. You've created a long-awaited masterpiece.

Those of us familiar with Washington are often questioned as to the artistic nature, the history, or the aesthetics of some of DC's more obscure sculpture. (I've always has a little story of Emmett's statue on embassy row because I learned quite a lot on that individual while studying the Irish civil war while in Dublin a couple of years ago.) But this book is like the dictionary of these artistic works.

Initially, I asked myself why it wasn't in color. But then I thought: color would have increased the book's price without increasing its value.

It's amazing, really. Delightful pictures of DC's statues, the classical, the abstract--as well as those in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. And if you wondered of some of them on the grounds of the National Cathedral, they're in the book too!

They even include some I've never even noticed before!

If you want to add some detail to your knowledge on the nation's capital, or even to enjoy the artistic merit and history of some of its often overlooked--and some NEVER overlooked artworks, this is the book for you!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource, May 25, 2010

By 

B. Murphy (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capital (Hardcover)

I work in Washington, D.C. and live in Maryland. After years of driving past the incredible amount of statuary that exists in this City and wondering who was being honored and for what, I found the Goode book and have been enjoying looking things up. I've learned a great deal about the individuals and events that made this country and city great. This book gives sufficient detail, its chapters are well organized by location, and I highly recommend it.