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Designing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

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Compare and Contrast

Look at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery (near Washington, DC) in the first photograph from 1921. Then look at the next two photographs from 1932. Answer the questions below as you think about how the memorial changed from 1921 to 1932.

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View the full activity: https://docsteach.org/activity/designing-the-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/

  • What images and words are used on this memorial? How do they make you feel?
  • What challenges might the sculptor have faced in designing a memorial for someone he did not know?
  • Is there symmetry and/or repetition in the design? Are its parts proportional to one another?
  • Is there a sense of movement?
  • What colors are used?
  • Which design do you like better? Why?

 

public-domain
To the extent possible under law, National Archives Foundation has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to “Designing the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”