The American Monument

The American Monument presents 213 black and white photographs of public monuments and memorials across the United States, captured by photographer Lee Friedlander between 1971 and 1976. The images document statues, plaques, and memorial structures in urban and rural settings. The photographs position these monuments within their contemporary surroundings, including telephone poles, parked cars, pedestrians, and commercial signage. Friedlander's compositions highlight the relationship between historic commemorative objects and the modern American landscape. The book's sequencing moves through different regions of the country, showing how communities have chosen to memorialize figures and events from American history. The photographs reveal monuments both well-known and obscure, from city squares to remote locations. These images explore tensions between permanence and change, between official history and lived experience in American public spaces. The work raises questions about collective memory and how societies choose to preserve and present their past.

Readers call this 1976 photobook a sharp documentation of American public monuments and how they exist in their surroundings. Many comment on Friedlander's composition style that often includes trees, signs, and pedestrians partially obscuring or interacting with the monuments. Readers appreciated: - The contrast between solemn monuments and everyday life around them - The documentary value of capturing monuments that have since changed/moved - Print quality and reproduction of the photographs Common criticisms: - High price point of original editions ($500+) - Some found the compositions too busy or cluttered - Limited availability and difficulty finding copies Ratings: - Goodreads: 4.4/5 (11 ratings) - Amazon: None available due to limited circulation One reviewer noted: "A perfect example of how context shapes meaning - these monuments mean something different when shown as part of the messy backdrop of American life rather than isolated and revered."

American Surfaces by Stephen Shore A photographic journey across America in the 1970s documents vernacular architecture, street scenes, and roadside culture through a deadpan perspective similar to Friedlander's monument studies.

Uncommon Places by Stephen Shore Large format photographs of American landscapes and architectural spaces reveal the intersection of built environment and cultural identity through precise compositions.

The New West by Robert Adams Black and white photographs capture the transformation of the Colorado landscape through development and human intervention, focusing on structures and monuments of suburban expansion.

Parks by Kohei Yoshiyuki Night photographs of public monuments and spaces in Tokyo examine the relationship between civic structures and human presence in urban environments.

The Democratic Forest by William Eggleston A sprawling documentation of American spaces and structures presents everyday monuments of commerce, industry, and civic life through color photography.

📚 The American Monument (1976) was photographed during the American Bicentennial era, capturing over 200 public monuments across the United States 🎨 Lee Friedlander shot the images using a Hasselblad Superwide camera, which created distinctive distortions and dramatic perspectives that became part of his signature style 🗽 Many of the monuments in the book appear almost comically integrated into modern settings, with parking meters, street signs, and telephone poles often interfering with their intended grandeur 📖 The book's first edition was printed in an oversized format (17 x 14 inches) by the Eakins Press Foundation, making it a significant collector's item among photography books 🏛️ Rather than focusing solely on famous national monuments, Friedlander chose to document numerous small-town memorials and modest markers, creating a democratic vision of how America commemorates its history