John Ericsson Memorial, located near the
National Mall at
Ohio Drive
Ohio Drive is a street in Southwest Washington, D.C., located in East and West Potomac Parks and bordering the Tidal Basin, Washington Channel, and the Potomac River. It is a central organizing feature of East Potomac Park, providing the only m ...
and
Independence Avenue,
SW,
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, is dedicated to the man who revolutionized naval history with his invention of the
screw propeller
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
. The
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
engineer
John Ericsson
John Ericsson (born Johan Ericsson; July 31, 1803 – March 8, 1889) was a Swedish-American inventor. He was active in England and the United States.
Ericsson collaborated on the design of the railroad steam locomotive ''Novelty'', which co ...
was also the designer of , the ship that ensured Union naval supremacy during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
.
The memorial was authorized by Congress August 31, 1916,
and dedicated May 29, 1926 by President
Calvin Coolidge and
Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. Congress appropriated $35,000 for the creation of the memorial, and Americans chiefly of Scandinavian descent raised an additional $25,000. Constructed on a site near the
Lincoln Memorial between September 1926 and April 1927, the pink
Milford granitebr>
memorialis high with a diameter base.
Sculpted by
James Earle Fraser, it features a seated figure of Ericsson high, and three standing figures representing adventure, labor, and vision. The national memorial is managed by
National Mall and Memorial Parks
National Mall and Memorial Parks (formerly known as National Capital Parks-Central) is an administrative unit of the National Park Service (NPS) encompassing many national memorials and other areas in Washington, D.C. Federally owned and administ ...
.
Images
Image:John erricsson memorial-front.jpg
Image:John ericsson memorial closeup.jpg
File:Fraser Ericsson Adventure.jpg, Adventure section of memorial.
Image:Fraser_EriccsonLaborCloseup.jpg, Closeup of Labor section.
File:Fraser Ericsson Labor.jpg, Labor section.
File:Fraser Ericsson Vision.jpg, Vision section of memorial.
File:Gustav Adolf, Coolidge.jpg, The Crown Prince of Sweden and the President of the United States at the dedication ceremony
See also
*
List of public art in Washington, D.C., Ward 2
References
External links
John Ericsson Memorial official NPS website
{{authority control
1926 establishments in Washington, D.C.
1926 sculptures
Granite sculptures in Washington, D.C.
National Mall and Memorial Parks
Outdoor sculptures in Washington, D.C.
Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.
Sculptures of men in Washington, D.C.
Sculptures of women in Washington, D.C.
Southwest (Washington, D.C.)
Union (American Civil War) monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.
Works by James Earle Fraser (sculptor)