Gezicht op het Wolfe-Montcalm monument te Qúebec before 1894

This photograph by Jules-Ernest Livernois captures the Wolfe-Montcalm Monument in Quebec, a somber obelisk piercing the sky. The obelisk, a symbol dating back to ancient Egypt, speaks of power, remembrance, and the eternal. Think of the Washington Monument, or even the smaller markers in graveyards across Europe. The impulse to memorialize through vertical stone is a deeply human one. This monument specifically commemorates General Wolfe and General Montcalm, adversaries who both died during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. Erected in 1827, the monument transcends simple victory; it embodies reconciliation. The choice of the obelisk form speaks volumes. It acknowledges loss, but also hints at hope, as if reaching towards a higher understanding. This photograph freezes a moment in time, but the monument itself is a permanent fixture, a reminder of shared history. It serves as a conduit to the collective memory of both triumph and tragedy.