Photographing Washington, D.C.: Digital Field Guide

Chapter 18. Thomas Jefferson Memorial

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial from across the Tidal Basin before sunrise. Taken at ISO 100, f/11, 30 seconds with a tripod.

Why It's Worth a Photograph

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial honors the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States. A lifelong student of philosophy, his eloquent prose articulated the principles of freedom for man as the basis for the British colonies' independence, and thus for the citizens of the future United States. In drafting the Declaration of Independence, his words helped form the philosophical foundation for the American-style of democratic government.

The Neoclassical monument, designed by John Russell Pope, was built in a style that Thomas Jefferson himself brought to U.S. shores with his design for the University of Virginia's rotunda. Likewise, the Jefferson Memorial's rotunda was built with 26 Ionic columns and contains a 19-foot tall statue of Jefferson inside (by Rudolph Evans), and within its walls are quotes by Jefferson throughout his career.

Figure 18.1. The best locations from which to photograph the Thomas Jefferson Memorial: (A) the northeast side of the Tidal Basin, (B) the southwest side of the Tidal Basin, (C) the Thomas Jefferson Memorial steps, (D) the ...