War Memorial Flagpole aka Goodhue Flagpole, Pasadena, California
Posted by: 
showbizkid
N 34° 08.756 W 118° 09.630
11S E 393011 N 3778945
The War Memorial or Goodhue Flagpole stands at the corner of Colorado Blvd. and Orange Grove Blvd. It was dedicated in 1927.
Waymark Code: WMDGN
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/26/2006
Views: 72
This is a very beautiful and intricate memorial placed in a very busy location with very little pedestrian traffic. It is alternately referred to as the "Goodhue Flagpole," "Memorial Flagpole" or "War Memorial Flagpole". The 120-foot flagpole sits at the intersection of Orange Grove Blvd. and Colorado Blvd. It originally stood in the center of the intersection, but was relocated as a traffic hazard.
Readers who watch the Rose Parade on television will recognize this flagpole as most networks originate coverage from this corner and the flagpole is frequently seen in shots when floats turn the corner from Orange Grove Blvd. to Colorado Blvd.
This memorial is worth a close-up look with larger than life figures and impressive detail at the base. It's a shame that it is in such a out-of-the-way place for casual visitors. Unless events are occurring, it seems like parking for a few minutes at the Lodge parking lot across Colorado Blvd. from the flagpole is okay.
The following information is from A Survey of Important Sculptures in Los Angeles County" June 25, 1998, prepared by Sculpture Conservation Studio, Inc., and Glenn Wharton and Associates, Inc.:
"The War Memorial Flagstaff was designed by architect Bertram Goodhue and executed by sculptor Lee Oscar Lawrie. From bottom to top, it consists of a three-tiered circular granite base, a bronze relief, a bronze band with an inscription with names of battles, a bronze sip, a bronze fasces (bundle of rods) bearing arrows and coats-of-arms, and a copper clad flag pole surmounted with a bronze eagle. The bronze relief depicts eight seven-foot tall figures: 2 soldiers, an army officer, 2 sailors, an aviator, and a red cross nurse. The monument is dedicated to the veterans of World War I.
The base is composed of carved sections of California Granite, mortared at the joints. An inscription is incised around the top tier reads:
IN PROUD REMEMBERANCE OF OUR GLORIOUS DEAD MCMXVIII.
The pole itself weighs 4 tons and is composed of steel overlaid with teak wood and clad in copper. The eagle at the top of the pole is cast bronze. It weighs 135 lbs."
To record your own visit to this waymark, take a photo of the flagpole or base and upload it with your log. Your original photo is proof of your visit and must accompany the log. Thanks.Base of the Memorial Flagpole:
Close-up of figures surrounding the base:
