The President’s Column

Statues are once more in the news. diamond trade and unscrupulous A few examples of the fate of Whether the debate concerns financial conduct as well as his historical statues in the UK might the unauthorised erection of role in the notorious Jameson Raid help focus our thoughts. Outside Edward Snowden in Brooklyn Park, of 1895 which led to the Second the Barber Institute of Fine Arts the triple statues of Manning, Boer War suggests his reputation at the University of Birmingham is Snowden and Assange in Berlin, or is out of kilter with the values of an equestrian statue of George I. controversies over the placement of modern South Africa. Even his Commissioned in 1722, it was a commemorative image of Queen Guardian Obituary of March 1902 originally placed in central Dublin. Elizabeth at Runnymede to mark the described him as being involved Subjected to repeated destructive 800th anniversary of the sealing of in an ‘unbroken sequence of evil’. attempts by Republicans, the the Magna Carta, the value, use, Without doubt the presence of statue was eventually purchased meaning and historical importance such statues provokes anger, hurt by the university in 1937 to of statues remains a subject of and oppression among those preserve it from destruction. In considerable public and historical communities who have suffered and Northern Ireland there are many discussion. indeed in many cases continue to statues to William III, some even do so. erected recently. There are very Walking around any major city or few in the rest of the UK. Perhaps large town will very soon mean an One of the legacies of his vast and the most controversial statue in encounter with a series of statues, ill-gotten wealth was the foundation central London is that of Protector often Victorian, sometime much of the Rhodes’ Scholarship which Oliver Cromwell erected by public older. Tucked away above the funds studentships at Oxford subscription outside the Houses eyeline, or prominent in squares University from former imperial and of Parliament. Ann Widdecombe and thoroughfares, many of these colonial countries as well as the has voiced her temptation to statues might, quite properly (as USA. In particular Oriel College, vandalise it since it desecrates historian John Tosh remarked at which he attended in the 1870s, British history. Ironically the statue a recent event) be regarded as has been subjected to requests to is placed opposite a smaller bust of ‘redundant’: most viewers have have various plaques and statues Cromwell’s adversary Charles I: the little idea of whom the statues removed from their establishment two men, cast in iron, stare at each represented and what were their as inappropriate. Former Rhodes other balefully across the busy road. achievements, or indeed their scholar, and sometime prime crimes. In London such redundant minister of Australia, Tony Abbott Pulling down statues, even to the statues are manifold – perhaps a has dismissed such demands as worst of men, is a complicated crowdsources digital project which ‘moral vanity’, condemning what business. Hitler, Stalin, Saddam, offered (via an app) some form he sees as fashionable dissent have all fallen – although often in of contextual commentary might rather than a significant historical the midst of regime change and be a very useful guide for modern judgement. There is little doubt revolution. Without the material audiences both British and visitors. that among students, and the object later generations may Perhaps in each of your localities wider communities, there is broad forget their crimes and victims. there are similar examples – it might agreement that Rhodes is unworthy Yet a continual reminder of evil be fun to compile a database and of commemoration, but what to can hardly be helpful to modern perhaps set the Branches and local do? communities, so what is to be schools on the task of recovering done? One can imagine a public historical contexts to these artefacts. Public statues are part of a collective park for decommissioned statues public memory. They are the where, with the correct historical The most recent controversy has physical remains of past cultural context, they might be preserved as befallen statues of the Victorian investment in figures and events objects for learning and reflection. colonialist Cecil Rhodes under regarded as significant usually Just imagine the debates and the slogan #Rhodesmustfall. The by the dominant political elites. controversies over who might be students and university officials Unpacking those decisions, and the included and who not. of CapeTown University have politics of the initial investments is ‘archived’ the statue which used one of the activities that historians to be in a very prominent place on do best: in one way it’s important the campus. Rhodes’s record as a that such objects remain so they can vocal supporter of apartheid and be contextualised and explained, colonial exploitation renders him that their modern meanings can unsuitable for modern South Africa. be made distinct from their past Justin Champion His historical actions exploiting the significance. President of the Historical Association

The Historian – Winter 2015/16 11