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Post by Diane Merkel on May 26, 2006 20:31:49 GMT -6
| In the The New York Times dated June 22, 1885:
For several years the widow of Gen. Custer has been trying to have the statue of her husband at West Point removed, owing to its absurdity, and at last her efforts have been successful. Gen. Custer in bronze will no longer appall the visitor by dancing a sword dance on his narrow pedestal.
Someone sent me a copy of the page of the paper that contained that little gem, but I'm not sure who. (Billy? Again?) |
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Post by markland on May 27, 2006 4:57:11 GMT -6
Not I. Anyway, surely something that awful violates every law in the land!
Billy
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Post by elisabeth on May 27, 2006 5:05:47 GMT -6
It's hugely comical, isn't it: looks like a female pirate out of DisneyWorld or something!
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Post by bubbabod on May 27, 2006 9:09:15 GMT -6
I remember the article someone posted, but I don't think I've seen a picture of the statue until now. Now I know why she fought so hard to have it removed. About the only thing worse than the statue is "Custer of the West." They would both be turning over in their graves, assuming any of those bones lying at rest next to her are actually him!
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Post by Tricia on May 27, 2006 9:17:34 GMT -6
Public art it ain't! Now if we can only figure out where the thing has been hidden at West Point and put it out of its misery ...
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Post by fred on May 27, 2006 12:47:30 GMT -6
Oh, my God, it's Robert Shaw playing Errol Flynn!
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Post by Jim on May 27, 2006 20:08:31 GMT -6
HMMMMMMMMM! The gun's in his LEFT hand!!! Quite EASY to "POP" your left temple!?!?
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Post by Diane Merkel on May 27, 2006 22:52:10 GMT -6
Oh, my gosh, Jim! I hadn't thought of that. I thought the gun was held in a weird position. It looks like he's pointing it at his chest -- where was that other wound? -- but I didn't connect that it's in his left hand. A little flip of the wrist and . . . .
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Post by Tricia on May 28, 2006 14:05:25 GMT -6
OMG! The statue is trying to do its own self in!
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Post by Jim on May 28, 2006 15:43:37 GMT -6
Diane,
Ya gotta remember, he carried 2 pistols with him. Ambi-dexterous I am sure and two possible weapons to do the "Coup de Grace!!!"
Jim
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Post by Diane Merkel on May 28, 2006 21:30:19 GMT -6
Oh, No! Say it ain't so!
Another thing we will never know . . . .
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Post by El Crab on May 29, 2006 18:44:53 GMT -6
If you were wielding a saber, I'd guess you'd put it in your strong hand, right?
It looks like Randy Johnson.
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Post by bubbabod on May 29, 2006 19:49:16 GMT -6
El Crab, nice comparison to Randy Johnson. The way he's been pitching he needs the pistol and saber to help keep people off base.
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Post by Diane Merkel on May 29, 2006 22:16:46 GMT -6
Oh, goodie, we're back to baseball again. We have an LBHA member named Randy Johnson, and I was trying to figure out why on earth Crab thought the statue looks like him!
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Post by Tricia on May 29, 2006 22:51:08 GMT -6
Oh, goodie, we're back to baseball again. Art historically speaking ... This statue seems to have the same effectiveness as Donatello's David, a Fifteenth Century marble which once graced the same location in Florence, IT, as does (the copy of) Michelangelo's more famous--and manly--statue of the same name. There's a certain silly foppishness to the Donatello and the Custer above ... I can see why both disappeared ... www.statue.com/statue-of-david.htmlBut Donatello did carve a wonderful Mary Magdalene ... Regards, Leyton McLean
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