ABSTRACT
Theerectionofapublicmonumentinthenineteenthcenturyhadimplicationsfar beyondtheactsofitsplanningandconstruction.Themonumentwasthecenterof amajorpublicevent.Ceremoniesofdedicationdramatizeditshistoricalimportance.Engravings,lithographs,andlaterphotographs,defineditasanexampleof nationalart.Explanatorytexts,sometimeswrittenbytheartiststhemselves,made itsmeaningexplicitandknown,andplaceditwithinanationaltraditionofmonuments.
