Hidden in Plain Sight: A History of the Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument

Akela Reason, art historian and professor of history at the University of Georgia, will discuss the complex history of the New York Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Riverside Park. Her talk derives from her recent book, Politics and Memory: Civil War Monuments in Gilded Age New York (Yale University Press). The book illuminates the historical context of Civil War soldiers’ monuments in New York City, exploring the fascinating intersection of art, politics, and memory within these works, while also highlighting the ever-changing ways different constituencies have engaged with them in symbolic and physical terms.

This event takes place in the newly-renovated 102nd Street Field House. Enter the Park at 102nd Street and Riverside Drive, then descend to the promenade level. The stairs to the Field House are across the promenade at 102nd Street.