Offerings at the Wall: Artifacts from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection
Vazquez, Claudio (Photographer), and Taben Z (Phot Atlanta, GA: Turner Publications Inc, 1995. First edition. First Edition [stated]. First printing [stated]. Hardcover. 288 p. Mostly color illustrations. Since its dedication on Veteran's Day, 1982, more than 35, 000 offerings have been left at the Wall, in a variety too wide to categorize easily. This selection of the objects is a recognition of the importance of this memorial as marking the beginning of our nation's recovery from its longest war. Includes a complete list of the names inscribed on the Wall. 300 color photos. Photos of some of the 35, 000 offerings left at the Vietnam Wall since 1982. Copyright 1995 Reed. From Booklist The first offering to the Wall, a Purple Heart thrown into the monument's cement as it was being poured, presaged the medals, insignia, MIA bracelets, bullet casings, photographs, and flags from coffins that survivors have left at the Vietnam monument. Each night the items are warehoused and cataloged; this album portrays a sample of the 30, 000 objects commended to the dead thus far. Photographed against stark white backdrops, the artifacts vary in overt meaning: booze or money settles debts; a letter reaches out to the silence (sealed letters are never opened); mementos scrawled with signatures and explanations maintain a tangible link with the dead. What unites the variety is the private message delivered in this public space, a message palpable merely in outline to strangers not privy to the individual pain. In spite of that ambiguity, viewing these photos conveys the emotional impact of the memorial that only a personal visit to the site can exceed. With an appendix of all 58, 196 names on the Wall, this book is quite a powerful memorial on its own. Condition: Very good in good dust jacket. DJ has some wear and soiling. Sticker on back of DJ.
Keywords: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Shrine, Pilgrimage Site, Healing, Remembrance, Artifacts, Museum Pieces, Purple Heart, National Park Service
ISBN: 9781570360671
[Book #66330]
Price: $50.00