R L Lee head sculpted on back of Lincoln's at Memorial

[L Verge]

(09-15-2014 03:57 PM)STS Lincolnite Wrote:  

(09-15-2014 02:41 PM)wsanto Wrote:  

(09-15-2014 07:08 AM)Gene C Wrote:  I've never heard of that, that's interesting.

http://dclikealocal.com/dclikealocal/201...oldem.html

direct-on pics of the back of his head don't show any distinguishable features except for Lincoln's hair.

I also don't agree that the sculptor, or his assistants would have done this as a tribute to Lee but, more the opposite, as another reminder that Lee was looking backward and not forward and forced to overlook his land occupied as the final resting place for Union soldiers.

I thought the same thing you did about a "tribute" to Lee. My first thought was that he would be looking out seeing the graves of the Union dead forever (more of a punishment) - the same reason Montgomery Meigs had them buried there in the first place. I hadn't thought of the looking forward vs. looking back idea but I really like that as well.

Alas, the point is all moot as there is no face of Lee carved in the back of Lincoln's head (I'm a little disappointed a tour guide would say this when with a little investigation its proven false). With some imagination one could possibly be coaxed into seeing what may be construed as a profile of Lee but that is all - and tenuous at best. See the nps website linked below for a picture of the back of Lincoln's head in French's sculpture. Also addresses a couple of other questions about French's sculpture.

http://www.nps.gov/linc/faqs.htm

If you read the NPS link, you probably noted that one of the questions was as to whether one can tour the basement of the Memorial. The answer is no, but about twenty years ago, you could participate in appointment tours of the caverns under the Memorial. I say caverns because it is filled with stalagtites and stalagmites (which I'm sure I just misspelled). There is also a lot of graffiti left behind by the workmen.