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 Perhaps you have visited the Historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, located on Oakland Avenue? The cemetery was founded in 1850 and it overflows with beautiful oaks and magnolia trees.
Within the cemetery is a beautiful statue of a lion that honors the “Unknown Confederate Dead.” The lion was carved by T. M. Brady of Canton, Georgia, and was erected in 1894 by the Ladies Memorial Association of Atlanta.
The lion is 9 feet long on a rustic base of approximately 10 feet long. The lion weighs more than 15 tons, and at the time it was quarried, it was carved from the largest block of marble quarried in America.
The beautiful lion rests his head upon the Confederate flag with one paw clutching the Confederate flag. He appears to be grieving the dead. The lion is a symbol of power. Beneath the lion are muskets and a saber. At the proposal of Col. John Milledge to the Ladies Memorial Association, the memorial replicates the Lion of Lucerne which was dedicated to the memory of the Swiss Guards who were killed in large numbers, while shielding Marie Antoinette.
Celebrate and encourage memorialization art in our cemeteries to make them more inviting places to rest, grieve, and to honor those who have passed away.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/3093/pageatl1.html |
