NAME: START: Egyptian Oberlisk "Cleopatra's Needle"

PHOTO:

(click to view original size)

LOCATION: None

DATE: Cast: 1461 B.C Dedicated: January 22, 1881

SCULPTOR:

DONOR: Ismail Khedive of Egypt William H. Vanderbilt Cecil B. DeMille

HISTORY: The obelisk was donated to the City of New York in 1869 in an effort to attain foreign aid. With the help of William H. Vanderbilt, and ten years of logistical planning, the structure, that is made of over 70 feet of solid granit (Lederer, 149). Once the Obelisk reached the shores of the hudson river, the structure was moved to its final destination inch by inch. With the help of enumerable laborers, cannonballs, parallell beams and a pile driver the structure was successfully raised after 112 of transport from the hudson river to central park (nycgovparks.org)

NEWS COVERAGE 1:

(click to view original size)

NEWS COVERAGE 2:

(click to view original size)

NEXT MONUMENT: Amiable Child Memorial

WORKS CITED: IMAGE (from Left to Right, Top to Bottom): 1.nycparks.gov, Egyptian Obelisk 2.nycparks.gov, Egyptian Obelisk 3. Alfred S. Campell, Egyptian Obelisk, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building / Photography Collection, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs. New York City. RIVAL TRANSLATORS. New York Times (1857-1922); May 20, 1881; The New York Times (1851-2007) pg. 4 De Mille to Pay for Obelisk Translation; Recalls Boyhood Play in Central Park, New York Times (1923-Current file); Jun 12, 1958: The New York Times (1851-2007) with Index (1851-1993) pg. 29 TEXT Lederer, Joseph. All Around the Town: A walking Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in New York City. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1975. City of New York, Parks and Recreation Department, Historical Signs, http://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/historical-signs/listings?id=12745