Monday, June 22, 2020

Teddy Rosevelt's Statue to come down

They are going to remove Teddy Rosevelt's Statue from in front of New York's Natural History Museum.  I am not surprised, and I'll tell you why.

First, I love the museum and the statue. The statue is impressive and problematic. They aren't taking Teddy Rosevelt's Statue down because Teddy was a bad guy. But the statue is very "of his time", even though it was erected in 1940. Teddy was a progressive in 1901 - 1909 when he was President. That progressiveness then plays badly today.

The Statue (image below) show Teddy Rosevelt leading the way into the future on horseback. On one side of him is a Black man (apparently the NYTimes book of style now says we capitalize that and use it instead of African-American) and on the other side is a Native American (was called an Indian). It is a visual call back to the President lifting the "lower races" towards a future of enlightenment. President T. Rosevelt felt that all races could be educated and live together.



But that isn't the visual the image calls to mind now. Now we see the White President on horseback being followed by, and adored, by a Black and Native American. At best, a white savior metaphor, at worst a racist view that white men deserved a place of honor.

When I say I knew this was coming, the writing was on the wall about 5 or 7 years ago. They completely redid the statue and the murals at the museum.

I posted on the murals at the museum. They were all redone and are beautiful. But there is (or at least wasn't 5 years ago) any context or commentary on the murals. That is because any context would show Teddy as the beneficent savior of the Black and Native American races. There are multiple murals or different phases of his life. But in almost every mural, TR is shown fighting fro the rights of others. But the "others" are always poor, backward and uneducated. In 1940 it was a call for equality. Now it reads as derogatory.

The murals are less problematic because they are super busy and you can't really tell what is going on. (Beautiful, but busy). With the statue, it's painfully clear.

Murals (with some notes from me)
Teddy on a Hunting Trip in Africa (many of the animals in the halls were from Teddy's trips).


Mural of Teddy's Trips between Governor of New York and President - He traveled after his wife died
Detail of the 1903 War between Japan and Imperial Russia. Teddy negotiated the Peace Deal and won the Nobel Peace Prize



An Alamy photo detail of the Native Americas of Panama before America built the Canal

Part of the mural tying Americans to Ancient Greeks and Romans

1 comment:

I’m in Steamboat Springs - most posting begins on Sunday

 However, I had to post this. Everything is kind of poopy now (see no curse words). So I take humor were I can.