The truth about Stone Mountain’s giant Confederate memorial
A new documentary explains how the vast carving in Georgia really got there
Carving people in stone creates two contradictory impressions, both misleading. Because the shapes are human, meddling with them can seem like an assault. At the same time, the stone confers an aura of antiquity, even if the sculptures aren’t very old; they look both mortal and immutable, as much a feature of the landscape as the work of people or politics. That is doubly true if the forms are carved into a mountain.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Battle of Stone Mountain”
Culture January 14th 2023
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