Queen Victoria on Parade: Weekly Photo Challenge – Weathered

January 10, 2018 by rightpouitree 4 Comments

“This week, show us the effect of time and the elements.”

On East Parade in downtown Kingston, inside St William Grant Park, there is a statue of Queen Victoria.

It’s been in the Park (which used to be called Victoria Park) for nearly 120 years and has weathered somewhat over that time.

It has even lost its left hand….

The statue was unveiled in 1897 as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations; it was a replica of a statue sculpted by Emanuel Edward Geflowski and still bears the inscription: “Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, and Supreme Lady of Jamaica.” The photo below shows the unveiling ceremony.

“Unveiling the Queen’s Statue in Jamaica,” National Library of Jamaica Digital Collection , accessed January 10, 2018, http://nljdigital.nlj.gov.jm/items/show/1724. © Copyright NLJ. All Rights Reserved

They say that the statue shifted on its stone base during the 1907 Earthquake, which you seem to be able to see in this photo.

“Statue of Queen Victoria,” National Library of Jamaica Digital Collection , accessed January 10, 2018, http://nljdigital.nlj.gov.jm/items/show/1725. © Copyright NLJ. All Rights Reserved

A Jamaica Information Service release in the Sunday Gleaner of April 26, 1970 mentioned the story of the statue and the earthquake:

Sunday Gleaner, April 26, 1970,  page 1 -“Sir Alex’s Statue to Replace Queen Victoria’s”

On May 12, 1970, Queen Victoria’s statue was moved from its original position on South Parade to make way for the statue of National Hero Sir Alexander Bustamante.

Gleaner, May 14, 1970, page 1

The statue was later placed in its current location, where it remains to this day.

Weekly Photo Challenge – Weathered