Brooklyn, New York

Henry George was an American philosopher and economic theorist of the late 19^th Century. Although little known today, his theories advocated an unusual blend of social welfare and free market capitalism. Unlike Marx and other mid 19^th Century theorists who believed wealth was produced by labor and controlled by capital, he believed wealth was derived primarily from land. He felt that land should be jointly held and taxed at a rate commensurate with its productive value while other taxes on economic activity be eliminated. His ideas were taken up in Britain and implemented to some degree throughout its colonies. Hong Kong remains a successful model of his economic vision as a result. The game of Monopoly was invented by one of his admirers to demonstrate the potential evils of private monopoly ownership of land.

George is buried in Brooklyn’s bucolic Green-Wood Cemetery. His memorial consists of a bust backed by a granite dado which once held bronze wreathes, plaques, and moldings. Many of the bronze elements had been lost or stolen since it was erected. The cemetery engaged Conservation Solutions, Inc. (CSI) to research the lost elements, provide new bronze replicas, and preserve the monument.

CSI conservators identified all missing elements and prepared new bronze cast replacements. These were mounted on the cleaned granite dado. All bronzes were patinated to match the originals and were then protected with a hot wax coating. Work was completed in 2004.

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