Forgotten fragments (#9): Who was Gorringe, and why does he matter?
Subject(s): Augustus, Emperor of Rome, 63 B.C.-14 A.D., Bulloch, James Dunwody, 1823-1901, Gorringe, Henry H. (Henry Honeychurch), 1841-1885, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 1792-1822, Vanderbilt, William H. (William Henry), 1821-1885
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Tweed Roosevelt describes the arduous process of removing an obelisk named Cleopatra’s Needle from Egypt to New York City. The project was planned and managed by Henry H. Gorringe who persuaded Theodore Roosevelt to hunt buffalo in Dakota Territory in the fall of 1883. Roosevelt explains how obelisks were constructed in ancient Egypt, and he provides a history of the two obelisks known as Cleopatra’s Needles, one of which was moved to London, England. Roosevelt details the process of moving the obelisk which included specialized rigging and lifting mechanisms, and he laments that the obelisk’s presence in New York City is virtually unknown because of its location behind buildings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Six photographs and seven illustrations, including seven depictions of the obelisk, populate the text along with a text box with poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Collection
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Creation Date
2010
Creator(s)
Publication Date
2023-10-05
Language
English
Period
Theodore Roosevelt and Public Memory (1919-present)
Original Collection
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
Page Count
15
Production Method
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
No permission is required from the Theodore Roosevelt Association to use items in the Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal collection for educational purposes. For permissions, contact William Tilchin at (516) 921-6319 or by email at wnt@bu.edu.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Forgotten fragments (#9): Who was Gorringe, and why does he matter?. [October 29, 2025?]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308399. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Tweed. Forgotten fragments (#9): Who was Gorringe, and why does he matter?. [29 Oct. 2025?]. Image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. October 29, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308399.
APA:
Roosevelt, Tweed.: , [2025, October 29?]. Forgotten fragments (#9): Who was Gorringe, and why does he matter?. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o308399.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. October 29, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
APA:
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/theodore-roosevelt-association-journal.
