Memorials

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Boer War Memorial Sculpture
Cannon Hill Park
The 'memorial statue' has become the subject of contention over the past few years, as the rewriting of history, providing us with alternative details of a particular event, gathers pace. 

Edward Colston in Bristol

Robert Milligan at West India Dock Quay

Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, Oxford

To name a few-

Most, if not all statues of this kind represent either an occasion or an individual for actions deemed celebratory in their day, yet as successive generations awaken to further revelations, the discussions can take a turn in another direction, and we begin to question other aspects and related facts. A broader section of our previously unvoiced society is able to voice opinions according to a different perspective.

https://www.historyandpolicy.org/opinion-articles/articles/the-fall-of-slavery-statues-symbols-and-social-contention 

The article - 'The fall of slavery: statues, symbols and social contention' - addresses the issues. Follow the link above

Attached to the Boer War Memorial in 2020

The Boer War Memorial at Cannon Hill Park contains a cartouche with the words-

"TO / THE GLORIOUS MEMORY / OF THE / SONS OF BIRMINGHAM / WHO FELL IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR 1899-1902 / AND TO PERPETUATE / THE EXAMPLE OF ALL WHO / SERVED IN THE WAR / THIS MEMORIAL IS ERECTED / BY THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS".

During the Black Lives Matter campaign in 2020, a laminated A3 sheet was attached to the memorial (image above) reinforcing the sentiment of sadness and adding another detail in remembrance of the Black South Africans who lost lives, together with a reminder that it was "two European colonising powers" in a conflict in a foreign land. This is known as an "unofficial modification" and avoids the sometimes vandalistic options, such as defacing or graffiti or physical destruction.

This, I feel, is an appropriate and necessary addition to the story, albeit a temporary one, as the sheet was taken down and discarded nearby, deliberately I suspect.

But rather than the destruction of offending statues, as was the case with the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol, although that's now part of the narrative, a brief and respectful modification is called for, one that does nothing to damage the integrity of the artwork, but adds perspective and value to the overall story.

Comments

  1. Anonymous18 December 2022 at 04:56

    I agree completely and hope that a similar modification/text will be added permanently.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous28 December 2022 at 01:42

    Me too

    ReplyDelete

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