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Titanic Memorial in DC
Admit it, you've done it too. You and a significant other have probably stood at some point at or near the bow of a boat and imitated the doubleheaded flying figurehead pose from the 1997 film "Titanic" (If you haven't, you surely know someone who has.) That movie has become the bane of boat pilots everywhere, but the pose itself actually dates back to 1931, when a statue honoring those who went down on the legendary ship was erected in Washington, D.C. And it's still there, so you can see for yourself how it must have provided some inspiration for James Cameron.
It took a few years after the disaster to get the monument erected, in part because the survivors of the tycoons who were on board wanted only them to be remembered. But ultimately, a memorial was chosen to honor all the men who gave up their lives in order that women and children might live. The design, selected through open competition, was conceived by sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, a member of the prominent (and fabulously rich) Vanderbilt family - one of whom died on the Lusitania.
The 13-ft. statue is located beside the Washington Channel, near the intersection of 4th St. SW and P St. SW. That's the closest you'll be able to park to it, but continue walking toward the waterfront from that point, and the memorial is only a block away. Admire the Art Deco craftsmanship in granite, taking note of the dolphin head design on the benches, and the inscription noting that the monument is dedicated by the "Women of America". Also read the inscription on the back, which is accompanied by the usual graffiti.
Oh yes, and go ahead and strike that pose again, this time beside its originator.