Columbus Day 1999 I
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The coat-of-arms granted Columbus by Ferdinand and Isabella. The lion mul castle are taken from the royal coat-of-arms; the is/antis atld the anchors refer to Columbus' discoveries and ability as a ntivigat.or. I I Columbus Day 1999 I . / n1 e cover. provided 1hro11gh 1he generosi1y o/the Lido Civic Club. Washington. D .. C. reproduce.1· a.fi'e.1·co. approxima1e/y 5 j eet high and 3/ eel wide, from Lhe US Capitol. l he/(J//o wing description is cxcerp1edfrom Lh e Commemora1ive Q11incen1enary edilion o/1he hook/et "Co/11m b 11 s in the Capitol. ·published in J9 92 by the Government Printing Office 11 nc/er direction of Congress ·s Join! Commillee on Printing. "Christopher Columbus is shown as if seated in a niche, wearing a cape. He is examining a globe that rests on a columnar pedestal; beneath the base of the globe is an unrolled chart with drawings and notations. At the foot of the fresco is surrounded by a window-like illusionistic frame. Columbus is one of four hi storical fi gures painted in the corners of the ceiling of the President's Room, which is one of the most beautifully decorated rooms in the Capitol. lt was constructed as part of the new Senate wing, which was begun in 1851 and completed in 1859 The decoration of the room was designed and painted in 1859 by Constantino Brumidi ( 1805-1880), who was paid $ 1,000 Italian born and No matter how we perceive the Great Explorer/Discoverer, trained, Brumidi arrived in Washington and painted his first fresco in the Capitol in 1855; he spent the remainder of his career painting in the Capitol until his death in CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, he is still one of the "Giants" 1880 ,, of the Second Millenium! TlIE lN.ATlC)N'S CAPITAL I CELEBRATES 507 YEARS Application for Membership 1 in the I ()F DlSCOVERY National Columbus Celebration Association I ~ l The Association seeks to honor not only the memory of Columbus and his historic achievements in linking the O(ld World and \~ the New, but also the higher values that motivated and sustained h im in his efforts and his trials. Those vi1tues - faith in God, the courage of his convictions, dedication to purpose, perseverance in effort, professional excellence, andboldness in facing the unknown - are as needed today and in the future. The Association invites individuals and organizations who identify with our purposes to join with us by filling out the application below and sending it to the address given.Membership includes a gold plated membership pin, a personal colorful certificate with beribboned seal, suitable for framing, an invitation to the annual meeting with the 1ight to vote, minutes, newsletters, and your name listed in the program published for the annual celebration. Annual membership dues are (please check appropriate box) 0 Business or professional ................ .. $ L00.00 0 Non-profit, patriotic, fraternal .... .... $ 75.00 1--IO:NORTNG THE GREAT 0 Individual.. .... .... .......... .. .. .. ...... ......... $ 25 .00 DISCOVERER Name .............. ..................... ... .................. .......... ... ...... ..... Cl-Ifl[S l'()PHER c:oI.JIB\1BUS Address ......... ........... ............... ............ ........................ MONDAY OCTOBER 11 , 1999 City .......................... .. .... .. .. ........... ..State ......... .Zip .. ...... ........ THE COLUMBUS MEMORIA_L Telephone ........ ........ .. .................. ...... ........... COLUMBUS PLAZA - UNION STATION, Please fill out the application, cut or tear along the line indicated, send W.ASHINGTON, D.C. with your check made payable to: "NCCA" to : SPONSORED BY THE WASl-ID'>JGTON COLUMlm S CELEBRATION ASSOCLl\TION N. C. C. A IN COORDINA1l 0 WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 2301 Lackawanna St Adelphi MD 20783 x i I I CELEBRATING CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL CONGRKfULKfIONS NA1-1 IONAL COLUMBUS The Site CELEBRKfION ASSOCIATION In the years following the great quadricentennial (400th anniversary) Columbus Day October 11, 1999 celebration in 1892 of the achievements and disc.overies of Christopher Colwnbus, an effort was launched by the Knights of Danie] L. Quaid, Jr. Columbus to establish a monument to the great discoverer. The U. S. Congress Former Master passed a law which mandated a Columbus Memorial in the nation's capital and t Virginia District appropriated $100,000 to cover the ;~:::e~s:'ftf!~aJ~--~~ construction costs. A commission was f' LEE Funeral Home established composed of the secretaries of AND CREMATORIUM State and War, the chairmen of the House ne of'1he Washin,!!, lnn Mc1ropoli1w'1 Area '.I· O!des1and1'/ne.1·1 Homes. owned and Senate Committees on the Library of and Oper{lled h.\' 1he /,ee l·a1111/y jor over 160 years. l'..\·1(1/)/ished 1836 Congress, and the Supreme Knight of the O8ew11i/iil ( 'hapl!i. Amp/11 Parking .)/iace Knights of Columbus. With the newly LEE Funeral Home, Inc. completed Union Railroad Station in 6633 Old Alexander Ferry Road, Clinton MD 20735 1907, plans focused toward locating the 301-868-0900 301 -855-0888 memorial on the plaza in front of this great 8 125 South ern Ma ryland Blvd , Ownings MD 20736 edifice. 410-257-0888 After a series of competitions, sculptor Lorado Z. Taft of Chicago was §t. <!llt11J"/J.•11 lt:n1111111gn <!!111111ril awarded the contract. His plan envisioned what you see this day, a monwnent CONGRATULATIONS constructed of Georgia marble; a semi-circular fountain sixty-six feet broad and Grand Kni ght James C. Watts Trustees- Bernard Dunbar forty-four feet deep and in the center, a pylon cro\Vlled with a globe supported by Deputy GK M ichael I. Watts four eagles connected by garland A fifte.en foot statue of Columbus, facing the U. Benj amin Bowlding S. Capitol and wrapped in a medieval mantle, stands in front of the pylon in the Chancel lor Chesso Rucker Edward Warren bow of a ship with its prow extending into the upper basin of the fountain Fi nancial Secretary Jo hn E. Jackson terminating with a winged :figurehead representing democracy. Flanking Columbus Treasurer Fred D. Rice are two seated, allegorical figures: To his left representing the Old World is a patriarchal figure resting his arms upon a shield and grasping a crumpled map while to his right rep~g the New World is a pre-Columbian figure (American Indian) crouching behind his aude shield reaching for an arrow. On the rear of the large pylon is a double medallion picturing the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand eorge Washington £0J9e No. 2038 and Queen Isabella. Set at the extremes of the axis of the balustrade are couchant lions. Three towering flagpoles flank behind the monument representing the 4~-$NSO;:~ OrJer Sons of Italy in America (~~ ?.\ historic ships of 1492 the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Classic-cohmmed 0. '.Box 631 lampposts in front of Union Station feature replicas of ships on their cross-axis ~~~~.)~) P. near the base mounts. The dedication of the majestic tribute to Colwnbus occurred ~~ Merrifield, Vir9i,1ia 22116 on June 8, 1912 with many thousands attending. Jt was the prelude to and the focal We salute Christopher Columbus on the point for the annual Colwnbus Day celebrations since. occasion of the 507th anniversary of his historic voyage to America 2 63 Daniel Bumham, who designed Union Station, was the major architect of the 1892-1893 World's Columbian fai>osition in Chicago. Bumham's architecture BOB GRILL was so well received in Chicago that it law1ched the "City Beautiful" movement, to transform major cities, especially our nation's capital into a series of well-landscaped neo-classical palaces, expressing confidence in our Republic GENERAL CONTRACTOR, INC. during the 1890 period. Bumham's Columbus Fountain and Taft's Coh.unbus statue were influenced in part by Frederick MacMonnies fountain at the World's 9817 Lanham-Severn Road Lanham, Maryland 20706 Columbian Exhibition. In recent years Union Station has been rejuvenated as a lively commercial space while still serving as a train terminal. As a major artistic renmant of the Exposition, the statue, fow1tain and edifice rightly serve as the focal point for the annual Colwnbus Day Celebration. Experienced Profes.<tional Craftsmen The Ceremony Providing Quali~v Workmanship In All Types of Throughout the years there have been many fraternal, civic and cultural ~ organizations who have provided the ~~ leadership for the ceremony each year. COMMERICAL & RESIDENTIAL The appearances of the U.S. Militaiy CONSTRUCTION Honor Guard, the service bands, and the Knights of Columbus Color Corps, add to the pageantry. Addresses by national and international dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps, especially representing • NEW - ADDITIONS - REMODELING Spain, Italy and the Bahamas, CONCRETE - FOUNDATION REPAIR Organization of American States, have added interest to the occasion; and along INDUSTRIAL - OFFICES - CHURCHES with the audience all have joined in the festivities. lo an effort to perpetuate a more unified event, in 1989 the Washington Colmnbus Celebration QUALITY & SATISFACTION Association (WCCA) was fom1ed and in co-sponsorship with the National Park Licensed, Bonded, Insured Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, plans the yearly ceremony which is open to the public free of charge. In addition to the highlights of the program already described in this history, the ceremony closes 301-577-7768 or 301-577-8955 with wreath presentations representing many national and local fraternal, civic, patriotic and cultural societies. License No. 5959 62 3 CHRONOLOGY THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS UCenne (!!ouncil No. 35.1 1451 Born in