How Tennesseans have chosen to remember their pasts has changed over time. The artifacts portraying military figures presented in this gallery were once displayed at the Tennessee State Capitol. In addition to being a working government center, the Capitol is also a historic building and a symbolic public space. Questions about best to remember the often complex legacies of soldiers and sailors, particularly those associated with the Confederacy, remains a vital part of public discourse today.
Museums preserve artifacts for future generations and offer public spaces spaces for reflection. They provide visitors with tangible connections to the the past. Some of the stories told by artifacts are difficult and painful, but important for understanding our history.
For more about the exhibition, and the figures represented by the artifacts in it, please click here to read our post, Remembrance: Military Representation through Public Art at the Tennessee State Capitol, on the Thousands of Stories blog.
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