Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues That Made History

Last updated
Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues That Made History
Fallen Idols, Twelve Statues That Made History cover.jpeg
Author Alex von Tunzelmann
LanguageEnglish
Genre History of art
Publisher Headline Publishing Group
Publication date
2021
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Pages264
ISBN 978-1-4722-81876

Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues That Made History (2021), is a book authored by Alex von Tunzelmann and published by Headline Publishing Group in response to the removal or defacement of statues during the George Floyd protests of 2020. In it, von Tunzelmann explores the stories of twelve statues or groups of statues of historical figures, including the contexts in which they were erected, the reasons for which they later became contentious, and the circumstances leading to their removal, destruction or vandalism. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The paperback edition, published in 2022, amends the title to Fallen Idols: History is not erased when statues are pulled down. It is made. [4]

Contents

The book contains an introduction, twelve main chapters – each focused on a historical figure who features as a created then fallen statue – and a concluding chapter. There are 13 images.

The twelve case studies are:

Argument

Von Tunzelmann's commentary, while acknowledging the complexities of the debate, is broadly in support of the removal of statues with politically outdated or contentious messages. In particular, she takes issue with "the same four arguments" that are often made for retaining statues, which she characterises as: [5]

Reception

Fallen Idols was reviewed by Michael Burleigh, who said "there is not a dull sentence in the book, which begins with the moment American revolutionaries toppled the statue of George III in New York." [6]

It was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize 2022. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iconoclasm</span> Destruction of religious images

Iconoclasm is the social belief in the importance of the destruction of icons and other images or monuments, most frequently for religious or political reasons. People who engage in or support iconoclasm are called iconoclasts, a term that has come to be figuratively applied to any individual who challenges "cherished beliefs or venerated institutions on the grounds that they are erroneous or pernicious."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monument Avenue</span> United States historic place

Monument Avenue is a tree-lined grassy mall dividing the eastbound and westbound traffic in Richmond, Virginia, originally named for its emblematic complex of structures honoring those who fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Between 1900 and 1925, Monument Avenue greatly expanded with architecturally significant houses, churches, and apartment buildings. Four of the bronze statues representing J. E. B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis and Matthew Fontaine Maury were removed from their memorial pedestals amidst civil unrest in July 2020. The Robert E. Lee monument was handled differently as it was owned by the Commonwealth, in contrast with the other monuments which were owned by the city. Dedicated in 1890, it was removed on September 8, 2021. All these monuments, including their pedestals, have now been removed completely from the Avenue. The last remaining statue on Monument Avenue is the Arthur Ashe Monument, memorializing the African-American tennis champion, dedicated in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex von Tunzelmann</span> British historian, screenwriter and author

Alex von Tunzelmann is a British popular historian, screenwriter and author.

Fallen Idol(s) may refer to:

<i>Red Heat: Conspiracy, Murder and the Cold War in the Caribbean</i>

Red Heat: Conspiracy, Murder, and the Cold War in the Caribbean is a historical study of the political scene in the Caribbean during the 1950s and 1960s, written by the British historian Alex von Tunzelmann and first published in 2011 by Henry Holt and Company. Educated at Oxford University, Von Tunzelmann (1977-) had previously published a study of the independence of India, entitled Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert E. Lee Monument (Charlottesville, Virginia)</span> Destroyed equestrian statue

The Robert E. Lee Monument was an outdoor bronze equestrian statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee and his horse Traveller located in Charlottesville, Virginia's Market Street Park in the Charlottesville and Albemarle County Courthouse Historic District. The statue was commissioned in 1917 and dedicated in 1924, and in 1997 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was removed on July 10, 2021, and melted down in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert E. Lee Monument (Richmond, Virginia)</span> Former public sculpture in Richmond, Virginia, United States

The Robert E. Lee Monument in Richmond, Virginia, was the first installation on Monument Avenue in 1890, and would ultimately be the last Confederate monument removed from the site. Before its removal on September 8, 2021, the monument honored Confederate Civil War General Robert E. Lee, depicted on a horse atop a large marble base that stood over 60 feet (18 m) tall. Constructed in France and shipped to Virginia, it remained the largest installation on Monument Avenue for over a century; it was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 and the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials</span> Ongoing development in the United States

There are more than 160 monuments and memorials to the Confederate States of America and associated figures that have been removed from public spaces in the United States, all but five of which have been since 2015. Some have been removed by state and local governments; others have been torn down by protestors.

The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument was a commemorative obelisk that was erected in Linn Park, Birmingham, Alabama in 1905. The monument was dismantled and removed in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in Richmond, Virginia</span> 2020 civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd

Richmond, Virginia, experienced a series of riots in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Richmond was the first city in the Southeastern United States to see rioting following Floyd's murder. Richmond, formerly the capital of the short-lived Confederate States of America, saw much arson and vandalism to monuments connected with that polity, particularly along Monument Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Frank Rizzo</span> Statue formerly installed in Philadelphia

A statue of Frank Rizzo, sometimes called the Frank L. Rizzo Monument, was installed in Philadelphia, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Erected in 1998, the bronze sculpture was removed in June 2020. Black Lives Matter activists and others protested the statue's presence, and the statue was taken down during the George Floyd protests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stonewall Jackson Monument</span>

The Stonewall Jackson Monument in Richmond, Virginia, was erected in honor of Thomas Jonathon "Stonewall" Jackson, a Confederate general. The monument was located at the centre of the crossing of Monument Avenue and North Arthur Ashe Boulevard, in Richmond, Virginia. The bronze equestrian statue was unveiled in 1919. Along this avenue were other statues including Robert E. Lee, J. E. B. Stewart, Jefferson Davis, Matthew Maury and more recently Arthur Ashe. Thomas Jackson is best known as one of Robert E. Lee's most trusted commanders throughout the early period of the American Civil War between Southern Confederate states and Northern Union states. He rose to prominence after his vital role in the Confederate victory at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, continuing to command troops until his untimely death on May 10, 1863, after falling fatally ill following the amputation of his wounded arm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Williams Carter Wickham</span> Monument to Confederate general in Richmond, Virginia

The statue of the Confederate States of America cavalry general Williams Carter Wickham by Edward Virginius Valentine was installed in Richmond, Virginia's Monroe Park in 1891, near Virginia Commonwealth University's main campus. It was toppled in June 2020 during the George Floyd protests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Edward Colston</span> Statue in Bristol, England, toppled 2020

The statue of Edward Colston is a bronze statue of Bristol-born merchant and trans-Atlantic slave trader Edward Colston (1636–1721). It was created in 1895 by the Irish sculptor John Cassidy and was formerly situated on a plinth of Portland stone in a public space known as "The Centre" in Bristol, until it was toppled by anti-racism protestors in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Robert Milligan</span> Sculpture by Richard Westmacott

A statue of Robert Milligan was installed at the West India Docks in London, in 1813. Milligan was a merchant, and was largely responsible for the construction of the West India Docks. After being put in storage in 1943, it was re-erected by the London Docklands Development Corporation in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Christopher Columbus (Saint Paul, Minnesota)</span> Statue of Christopher Columbus formerly installed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.

A bronze statue of Christopher Columbus was installed on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1931. The 10-foot statue was created by Italian American Carlo Brioschi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Christopher Columbus (Wilmington, Delaware)</span> Statue of Christopher Columbus, formerly installed in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.

A statue of Christopher Columbus was installed in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. It was produced by the sculptor Egidio Giaroli in Rome, and was cast and molded in the Italian city of Pistoia. The statue was unveiled on October 12, 1957, and was removed in June 2020, its status and future currently is unclear, and its impromptu removal controversial and the subject of political debate.

References

  1. Sands, Philippe (2 September 2021). "Monumental injustices — relics, racism and reparations". www.ft.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.(subscription required)
  2. Patterson, Christina (18 July 2021). "Fallen Idols by Alex von Tunzelmann review — statues we've pulled down". Archived from the original on 11 September 2021.
  3. "Should they stand or fall? The great statue debate". HistoryExtra. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  4. Tunzelmann, Alex von (2022). Fallen Idols: History is not erased when statues are pulled down. It is made. London: Headline. ISBN   9781472281913.
  5. Tunzelmann, Alex von (2021). Fallen Idols: Twelve Statues That Made History. London: Headline Publishing Group. pp. 16–19, 209–211. ISBN   978-1-4722-81876.
  6. Burleigh, Michael (July 2021). "Pedestal Pushers". Literary Review. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  7. Anderson, Porter (21 April 2022). "The £75,000 Wolfson History Prize Shortlist: 50th Anniversary". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 21 April 2022.