Light as Political Spectacle

Abstract

Illuminations had originated in the courts of Europe, where they served as a brilliant demonstration of cultural hegemony. In the democratic United States, people were long wary of monarchical pomp. The first presidents did not seek to celebrate themselves or stage magnificent displays. But this attitude changed over time. By the end of the nineteenth century, as in Renaissance Italy, Bourbon France, or Georgian Britain, spectacular lighting had become part of political ceremony. Americans used it to dignify a presidential inauguration, mark an anniversary, drum up support for war bonds, or celebrate military victory. Illuminations were held in New York to celebrate the end of the Civil War, in Boston on the centennial of the Battle of Bunker Hill, and in Philadelphia on the centennial of American independence in 1876 (see figure 8.1). Electricity was adopted in Washington, DC, to illuminate major buildings and enhance special events. In 1878, when arc lights were quite new, the architect of the US Congress already was “making experiments with the electric light for the purpose of substituting it for the present expensive system of lighting by gas.” 1 Elaborate illuminations quickly became a fixture at presidential inaugurations. 2 The Boston Globe reported in 1881 that “the illuminations are general and some are on an elaborate scale,” including the White House grounds, which “attracted much admiration. A large illuminated star on the north portico was the chief feature. Lines of Chinese lanterns were stretched from tree to tree on both sides of the approaches from the avenue, and the shrubbery all around the grounds was similarly illuminated.” 3