Statue of Lord Nelson, Bridgetown
| Statue of Lord Nelson, Bridgetown | |
|---|---|
 The statue in 2007 | |
| Artist | Richard Westmacott |
| Completion date | 22 March 1813 |
| Medium | Bronze |
| Subject | Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson |
| Location | Barbados Museum, Bridgetown, Barbados |
The Statue of Lord Nelson is a bronze statue of the British naval officer Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, which stood at National Heroes Square (formerly Trafalgar Square) in Bridgetown, Barbados from 1813 to 2020.[1] It has since been relocated to the Barbados Museum.
In 1805, Nelson and the British fleet had visited Barbados while pursuing the Franco-Spanish fleet in the lead-up to the Battle of Trafalgar.[2] A bronze statue sculpted by Richard Westmacott was erected in his honour on 22 March 1813 in what became known as Trafalgar Square,[3] and Barbados' Parliament Buildings were constructed nearby in the late 19th century. The statue was a prominent landmark, and it was depicted on several Barbadian postage stamps issued between 1906 and 1964.[2][4]
Trafalgar Square was renamed National Heroes Square in 1999. As colonial symbol, the statue became increasingly controversial and wreath-laying ceremonies on the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar ceased.[3] The monument was vandalised in November 2017 on the eve of Independence Day celebrations, when blue and yellow paint was daubed on the statue and its plinth. A message describing Nelson as a "racist and white supremacist" was placed along the base.[5]
On 24 July 2020, John King, the Minister with responsibility for Culture, announced that the statue would be removed during the national , which came to an end on 23 August. The removal was postponed in order to concentrate available funds on completing and opening a park in Saint Thomas, and eventually occurred on the International Day for Tolerance. The statue will be rehoused in the Barbados Museum.[6][7][8][9][10]
References[]
- ^ Sandiford, Robert Edison (2020-11-18). "Barbados removes Nelson statue in break with colonial past". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
- ^ a b Courtney Cade, Reginald (1955). British Colonial Stamps in Current Use. London: Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations. p. 22.
- ^ a b "Lord Nelson Statue". Barbados Pocket Guide. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021.
- ^ Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue: Commonwealth and British Empire Stamps 1840–1970 (117 ed.). London: Stanley Gibbons. 2015. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-0-85259-918-1.
- ^ Beckles, Natasha (29 November 2017). "Statue of Lord Nelson defaced". NationNews. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021.
- ^ "Memorial: M2219". Maritime Memorials. Royal Museums Greenwich. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ Ellis, Daveny (July 24, 2020). "Lord Nelson statue in Barbados to be get a new home with public input". Loop. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ Ellis, Daveny (August 21, 2020). "Denny unmoved in the face of delay of Lord Nelson statue removal". Loop. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- ^ "Nelson's Statue to be removed November 16". Barbados Today. October 24, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- ^ Sandiford, Robert Edison (November 17, 2020). "Barbados removes Nelson statue in break with colonial past". Reuters. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
External links[]
Media related to Statue of Horatio Nelson (Bridgetown) at Wikimedia Commons
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