Eureka Springs
AA-2026-BD1EA0
On the image
Someone decided that the best way to convey a spiritual message was to build a very large concrete representation of a historical figure on a hill. This required a significant investment of time, money, and local political manoeuvring, all to ensure everyone within a certain radius understood the point. The result is a 67-foot-tall Jesus statue, overlooking the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, demonstrating a certain belief in "bigger is better" when it comes to religious expression.
Visitors would travel across state lines, often with several children in the back of a station wagon, to look at this structure. They would then take a picture, possibly through some pine trees, to prove they had seen it, much like verifying a box on a spiritual checklist. The hazy conditions here suggest that even divine inspiration sometimes needs to contend with local atmospheric effects.
The pine branches in the foreground serve as a reminder that nature is often indifferent to monumental human endeavours, providing its own unsolicited framing. It's a testament to the era's tourism that a concrete figure on a hill could become a major destination, attracting those who appreciated both faith and a good roadside attraction.
The historian's note
The image depicts the Christ of the Ozarks statue, located near Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Completed in 1966, this monumental sculpture stands 67 feet (20 metres) tall on Magnetic Mountain.
It was commissioned by Gerald L. K. Smith, a controversial fundamentalist Christian preacher, as the centrepiece of his planned Bible-themed tourist attraction and 'The Great Passion Play' outdoor drama. The statue was designed by Emmet Sullivan and constructed from 500 tons of concrete.
By the 1970s, the Christ of the Ozarks had become a prominent roadside attraction and a key component of the 'Great Passion Play' experience, drawing tourists and pilgrims to the region. It remains a significant landmark in the Ozarks, emblematic of a specific era of American religious and tourist development.
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Christ of the Ozarks, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 1970s. 1970–1979. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-BD1EA0. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/christ-of-the-ozarks-eureka-springs-arkansas-1970s.
@misc{aaAA2026BD1EA0,
title = {Christ of the Ozarks, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 1970s},
year = {1970–1979},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-BD1EA0},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/christ-of-the-ozarks-eureka-springs-arkansas-1970s}
}TY - ART TI - Christ of the Ozarks, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 1970s PY - 1970–1979 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-BD1EA0 UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/christ-of-the-ozarks-eureka-springs-arkansas-1970s ER -
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