I've walked by and photographed this obelisk in Central Park dozens of time over the years. It wasn't until my participation with Partners in Preservation that I actually learned its name and history. It is known by the nickname Cleopatra's Needle and was commissioned as part of a pair by Pharaoh Thutmosis III around 1500 BC to celebrate the 30th year of his reign. in the 19th-century one was sent to London and the other to New York by Khedive of Egypt in exchange for aid. The obelisk is 71 feet high and weighs over 200 tons. It took four months just to move it from the Hudson River to Central Park where it now stands behind The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Sometimes we take for granted the monuments and buildings we walk by everyday. We assume that someone else is preserving them or paying for their upkeep. It's easy to forget that we are all responsible for our city which Partners in Preservation has reminded me. Now it's time to remind you that you can still vote once per day until Monday for the site that you think should win the grant money offered through the partnership of American Express and The National Trust for Historic Preservation. Cleopatra's Needle is just one of over 40 sites in all five boroughs vying for your vote. If you take a look, you might even learn more about a site you walk past everyday.
Spring 2011 photo by me.
Fall 2007 photo by me.
Disclosure: I have partnered up with Partners in Preservation as a blog ambassador to help spread the word and raise awareness of select historical sites throughout the tri-state area. Though I am compensated for my time, I have not been instructed to express any particular point of view. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.