Well, what a cold day to be at Madison Square Park. Walking around to see these awesome monuments really takes you back in history to understand the importance of these monuments and why they are still here all the way to the present day. There are in total 12 monuments, counting all if you went around the whole park looking for them. The simple classification that I would use to classify these monuments would be that there are portrait statues, plaques, or any items like a flagstaff. These provide an idea of what the monument might be, and giving a classification to it can really make it easier to identify.

I decided to choose the William Henry Seward Monument, which sits on the pedestal looking toward Manhattan Street. I think it is a good way to show off this monument, as it is right near one of the park’s main entrances or exits, and it does provide a good view of the monument when you are leaving the park. Now, what makes this monument so much more interesting than the rest? Well, the history behind it I mean, William Henry Seward was most famous for his action during the Civil War, as he was appointed Secretary of State by Abraham Lincoln on March 5, 1861, and served until March 4, 1869, where William Henry Seward was mainly charged with keeping the Civil War in check and played a major part in buying the land, which is also known as Alaska. This is interesting as we always see the President getting credited for the war all the time, as that was how the media was, but it is very surprising to understand that without people like William Henry Seward to help out in the Civil War, history could have been changed, and I think that this monument here was to credit William Henry Seward and those who don’t have a big light in the news but are still remembered for their important efforts in the Civil War. Looking at the William Henry Seward Monument, some main components are how Seward is being shown in a way like he is a king sitting on a throne. First, he is seated and cross-legged, all sitting in a big armchair facing toward the people. He is also holding a pen and a piece of parchment in his hand. I think that this way is supposed to represent how he was during the Civil War, showing off his heroic actions in an effort to try to win the war and giving people hope in the way of Seward being portrayed as some kind of hero in a way. Some similarities would be the seat, the way that monument is placed in the park, and the material used to build the monument. Some binary oppositions will be how Seward Monument is positioned, what kind of item he is holding, and lastly, how Seward Monument appears to the public. I think that when you get to look at the William Henry Seward Monument, the main thing that is being implied is that he was definitely someone who was really important, as he appeared to the eyes as somehow a leader and someone who fought for this country in order to give us the freedom we have now. Some questions that I still have: I mean, just why put the William Henry Seward Monument so close to an exit or entrance of the park? Is it a way of showing some sort of protection or leadership? Why did they choose to build the William Henry Seward Monument in a way where he is just sitting instead of standing?

Some key factors about the William Henry Seward Monument that you need to know contextually are that it is a statue situated on a big pedestal that has been made of variegated Italian marble. Some historical context suggests that William Henry Seward was famous for preventing European recognition of the Confederacy. In 1867, he also mediated the acquisition of Alaska from Russia. In addition to negotiating the Seward-Lyon Treaty, which forbade the slave trade and was widely regarded as “Seward’s Folly”. On September 27, 1876, the sculpture was dedicated at the southwest corner of Madison Square Park, facing the intersection of Broadway and 23rd Street. Oddly enough, this monument really reminds me of the Lincoln Memorial, as it really does carry some associations, as these two monuments are in the same position as they are both seated, giving off this kind of leader idea, and in history, these two people had worked with each other to try to end the Civil War. It carries this association with the idea that these two people were so important, as they were almost seen as heroes of the Civil War. I really think the intended audience for the William Henry Seward Monument was those who wanted to learn history about those who really helped along with the President in the Civil War. This type of monument really does speak to those who are just interested in exploring the background and importance of these monuments, as they want to understand and find out why they are so important. I am one of the members of that target audience, as it drew to me this idea of why this monument was created, maybe for the history or the importance that this person had done in the past to build this monument for that person.

I think the whole purpose of the monument is to help give off this message and idea of what William Henry Seward did when he was alive, as he was mainly a key figure throughout the Civil War trying to end the war. He was definitely a person who needed to be remembered for his efforts, along with so many other monuments. Viewing the William Henry Seward Monument in person really gave me this feeling of some sort of king sitting on a throne looking down upon you, as you take on this point of view where you are looking up at the monument as it is not really facing you, as it is almost sort of ignoring you. I don’t really think that this memorial should be read for its Aristotelian elements, as it is one of the memorials where you have to bring in your own feelings to understand it, as it does not give off any type of clue when you first try to look at it. Some key identity markers are located in the southwest corner of Madison Square Park, facing the intersection of Broadway and 23rd Street. The garden underneath can also be used to help identify it, as it is one of the monuments where you can’t just go up and touch it; however, it is very easy to spot as it is sitting down. This memorial functions in public space as a monument that most people would look at for a few minutes and take pictures of. I think the location of this monument was mainly for you to look at when you are trying to enter or exit the park, but it serves a big purpose as it gives off this idea. You can always see it when you leave and enter as some sort of greeting or goodbye that the monument gives off, but it also serves as the first thing or the last thing you will remember. It really does not take up much space as it is near the intersection of Broadway and 23rd Street. It is very noticeable since it is still a very big monument. I also suspected that there is not much attention on this monument as I think most people don’t really know what William Henry Seward did and the history behind it, and there is not much appeal as the monument is only sitting down while other monuments have different poses that might spark attention more. However, I think the William Henry Seward Monument is great in its ability to pay tribute, as it still draws very much attention as it is a place where it can be remembered as the first monument you look at or the very last monument you look at. Lastly, I think that William Henry Seward was someone who needed to be remembered, as his monument really allowed people to understand what he did in the Civil War and his other contributions.