Private donors and civic groups commissioned prominent national sculptors and local artists. The resulting creations represent diverse perspectives and celebrate a wide array of cultural heroes, dozens of firsts, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, aviation, and military and maritime service.
"Monumental Seattle" traces the history of these works, exploring their deeper meaning and the context surrounding their creation. It discusses how changing societal values affect public memorials and includes an appendix listing the type, year, location, and artist for sixty, and whether each still exists.