Tag: American History

Political

A Monument To The Unelected

monument-to-the-unelected

Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign sign joins presidential runners-up in Nina Katchadourian’s “Monument to the Unelected” in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Hillary became the 59th presidential election loser on the Lefferts Historic House’s lawn.

In Brooklyn, a Clinton Sign Joins a Collection Dedicated to ‘Monument to the Unelected’

“It’s good to think about this country’s complicated history right now,” artist Nina Katchadourian told Hyperallergic, just a few minutes before she placed the 2016 addition to her “Monument to the Unelected” installation on the lawn of the Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park. It’s the project’s 59th sign created for the runner-up to every American presidential campaign.

The structure itself, an 18th-century Dutch farmhouse, is a reminder of the long, complex societal history of New York City, especially as two candidates with deep connections in the area conclude their turbulent campaign. Today’s dreary weather and small, quiet group of reporters contributed to a somber mood as Katchadourian placed a sign emblazoned with “I’m with Hillary 2016” on the rebar poles in the ground.

As Hrag Vartanian reported earlier this week for Hyperallergic, she started the project in 2008, including the runners-up from that election (McCain/Palin), and revisited it in 2012 (Romney/Ryan). “I’m really committed to showing this four years from now, no matter what,” she added, although noted that this year it was “more timely than ever.” The ultimate goal of the project, which she describes as “politically neutral,” is to “think about what we’ve done, and think about it again.”

Indeed, it’s tempting to imagine a different reality when instead of the Clinton sign is one for Trump. Each of the signs represents another path for the country, whether an Al Gore victory in 2000, or Aaron Burr in 1800. “Monument to the Unelected” will stay on view this weekend, where pedestrians walking down Flatbush Avenue, spying the work through the fence, or visitors within Prospect Park, can witness this visual narrative of American alternate histories.

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Nina Katchadourian installing the 2016 addition to “Monument to the Unelected”

That yard must be a real pain to mow!

 

Information

American History: Opha Mae Johnson

Opha Mae Johnson

Opha Mae Johnson (February 13, 1900 – January 1976) was the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. She joined the Marine Corps Reserve August 13, 1918.

By luck of being the first person in a line of 305 women waiting to enlist, Opha Mae Johnson of Kokomo, Indiana became the first woman to join the Marines in 1918. The Marines were looking to fill office and clerical roles in the States while all battle-ready male Marines were shipped to the frontlines of World War I. To help fill the vacancies, the Marines Corps opened enlistment to women for the first time–two years before women could even vote!

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Amusing

William West and William West

William West
1903 – The William West – Will West Case at a Federal Prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, changed the way that people were classified and identified.

When a man named Will West entered the Leavenworth Prison System, in 1903, he was “booked” into the prison, as all other inmates. His face was photographed, and his Bertillion measurements were taken. Upon completion of this process, it was noted that another inmate, known as William West, who was already incarcerated at Leavenworth, had the same name, Bertillion measurements, and bore a striking resemblance to Will West.

The incident called the reliability of Bertillion measurements into question, and it was decided that a more positive means of dentification was necessary. As the Bertillion System began to decline, the use of fingerprints in identifying and classifying individuals began to rise. After 1903, many prison systems began to use fingerprints as the primary means of identification.

 
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