Obelisks

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

Theodore Roosevelt describes the sights and sounds of his family’s visit to Alexandria, Egypt, in an excerpt from his diary dated November 28, 1872. Roosevelt takes special note of the dogs he encountered, and he highlights seeing both Pompey’s Pillar, the remains of an ancient temple, and Cleopatra’s Needle, an obelisk later relocated to New York City.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1872-11-28

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Max J. Skidmore recounts the establishment of the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway which stretches from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon, and encompasses much of what is known today as U.S. Highway 2. Skidmore focuses much of his attention on the completion of the final stretch of the highway at Marias Pass in Montana in 1930 and the subsequent construction of a granite obelisk monument to Theodore Roosevelt at the Pass. Skidmore highlights the Roosevelt family members in attendance at the monument’s dedication in 1931 and again at its rededication in 1991. A photograph of the obelisk monument supplements the text.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1997

Creator(s)

Skidmore, Max J., 1933-