A statue of Thomas Guy stands in the forecourt of Guy's Hospital in the borough of Southwark in Central London. The statue is Grade II listed.
| Statue of Thomas Guy | |
|---|---|
 The statue in 2020 | |
| Artist | Peter Scheemakers |
| Completion date | c. 1732 |
| Subject | Thomas Guy |
| Location | London, England |
| Owner | Guy's & St Thomas' Foundation |
| Website | www.gsttfoundation.org.uk |
Due to Guy's controversial connection with the Transatlantic Slave trade, the statue has come under scrutiny.[1]
History
editThomas Guy was a British member of Parliament, investor and bookseller. He held shares in the South Sea Company. Due to a brief period where the company attempted to sell slaves in Spanish America, he is seen as a controversial figure.
The bronze statue was cast by Peter Scheemakers between 1731 and 1734.[2]
In June 2020, during the George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, many controversial statues became the target of attacks and scrutiny. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan established the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm in order to review statues and monuments in the city. The Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust announced that they would work with Khan on the issue. The Statue was boarded up on 12 June. [3][4] In November 2022, the hoarding around the statue was removed and a plaque explaining Guy's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade was erected. [5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Black Lives Matter: Statue to Guy's Hospital founder could be torn down over slavery links". Southwark News. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "STATUE OF THOMAS GUY IN COURTYARD OF GUYS HOSPITAL, PEDESTAL AND RAILINGS, Southwark – 1385879 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ team, London SE1 website. "Future of Thomas Guy statue in question as slavery row grows". London SE1. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Guy's Hospital considers taking down controversial statue of businessman who profited from slavery". ITV News. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ "Hoarding Removed And Temporary Plaque Installed On Thomas Guy Statue - Roar News | Roar News". roarnews.co.uk. 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
Further reading
edit
- Dresser, Madge (1 October 2007), "Set in Stone? Statues and Slavery in London", History Workshop Journal, 64 (1): 162–199, doi:10.1093/hwj/dbm032, JSTOR 25472939