"Monkey with a Camera"
by Gutzon Borglum
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Visitors often ask about the various gargoyles
perched on campus buildings. One of our favorites, "Monkey
with a Camera," is carved above 1879 Arch. This gargoyle
was created by Gutzon Borglum, who
later
gained fame for his work on
Mount
Rushmore. Below is an excerpt from "The
Gargoyles of Princeton University," by Laurel Masten
Cantor.
The "Monkey with a Camera" captures
a gargoyle's-eye view of humans. He is more of a
humoresque than a grotesque. How many people stop
to pose for a picture? If someone could only develop
that film!
This candid cameraman may also be
symbolic of academic endeavor. He's playing with
technology beyond his understanding; perhaps one
day he will discover how to use it. Maybe mankind
looks just as amusing playing with fusion.
Traditionally, monkeys have been equated
with rambunctious behavior—as have students.
If one assumes that mankind evolved from apes then
it would be logical to assume that professors can
evolve from irreverent students. |
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