Morant Bay's passion over the Paul Bogle Statue

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The passion surrounding the statue that has long been used to represent National Hero Paul Bogle is something that is not often seen in this country, especially in relation to national monuments.

In fact, public respect for monuments, historic buildings and artefacts, is quite limited, despite the sterling efforts of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) to ensure preservation of our history.

We are therefore surprised at the reaction of the people of Morant Bay to the JNHT's plan to re-erect in that town what we have all become accustomed to as the statue of Paul Bogle, which was taken down for reconstruction due to degeneration by nature and damage inflicted by a mentally ill man last year.

According to yesterday's lead story, the JNHT has decided to heed the strong advice from the town's residents not to return the controversial statue there as, they insist, it does not represent the true facial features of Mr Bogle.

As it turns out, the artist who was commissioned to make the statue, renowned sculptor the late Mrs Edna Manley, used a model -- known to people in the town only as 'Mr Bagan'.

What the residents have demanded is a statue giving a true representation of Mr Bogle's facial features. They also seem to have attached great symbolism to the placement of a sword on the current statue, saying that it represents the "cutting off of the power of speech" at one end and the cutting off of the hero's regenerative capabilities at the other end.

Miss Dorette Abrahams, head of the African Heritage Development Association and public relations officer of the Parish Development Committee, also argued that the position in which the sword was being held suggested surrender. She also insisted that instead of having the back of the statue turned to the Morant Bay courthouse, the piece should be facing the building, "showing Bogle defending the rights of the common people".

While we understand the objection raised by the residents, we share the view posited by Mr Patrick Staniger, the chairman of the JNHT, that the statue is really a symbolic representation of the ideals for which Mr Bogle fought.

"It is a very effective monument representing his fight for freedom," Mr Staniger stressed in said yesterday's Observer. "It is a monument to the Morant Bay Rebellion."

Where the Government went wrong in 1965 when the statue was erected was in not saying -- by way of public education to the country and particularly to the people of St Thomas -- that this was a monument to Mr Bogle and the rebellion.

In addition, instead of simply placing the name Paul Bogle only on the plinth, the message of the statue's significance should have been clearly engraved. That, we believe, would have prevented Miss Abrahams and her neighbours from feeling that they were deceived.

For given our knowledge of Mrs Manley and her works, we are convinced that she would not engage in deception. What stood in Morant Bay for decades was really her interpretation of the epic events of October 1865.

The people of Morant Bay, though, need to understand and appreciate the fact that there's nothing wrong in monuments being used to reflect history.

The image we have of National Heroine Nanny is also based on a model and we would not be surprised if that is also true of Sam Sharpe.

Our suggestion to them is to accept the Paul Bogle monument and work with the JNHT to have a true statue of Mr Bogle mounted, maybe in a sculpture park, in the town.

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COMMENTS (6)

Amma Amen
3/29/2010

"Vox Populi, Vox Dei" ("The Voice of the People is the Voice of God")
If the people of Morant Bay are dissatisfied with the monument then it is their right to have their voices heard. Who are we to decide what the majority of the people should or should not accept?
The people of Morant Bay want a true image of Paul Bogle. If a photograph of Mr. Bogle can be found - and I have been told that such still exists - then this should be used as a reference for the statue.
It is only right that the voices of the people of Morant Bay - home of the Morant Bay Massacre - be heard and their wishes respected this time around.

3/23/2010

Now i have been following this story for a while..these people are complaining that the statue does not look like Paul Bogle.My question is how do they really now what he looks like?when reading the article in Sundays newspaper when edna Manley made the statue there was no photograph or portrait of bogle until some years after..so she used bogle's grandson as reference .
My point is the picture that we attribute to today is might not be a accurate representation of the true paul bogle, the nearest thing to a true representation of what bogle is mr.bagan his grandson.

Elli Deedo
3/22/2010

Dear Editor, I've posted a number of Comments, and I've not seen their Publication. I've not breached the terms and conditions. This make's me wonder what's going on. We do appreciate the privillage you've afforded us..however I'am sure you are aware that a bit more Hospitality would facilitate matters!!! Many thanks Sir:)

Joseph Manley
3/18/2010

Regarding the issue of artistic interpretation and intent versus literal likeness to Bogle, there are two sources of documentation available that clearly show the process by which Edna Manley came to the final design of the piece. "Edna Manley The Diaries", edited by Rachel Manley, pages 67-71 and also "Edna Manley - Sculptor" by David Boxer pages 41-42. Issues of copyright prevent me quoting directly from either work, but for the curious, the answer is available.

K G
3/17/2010

What is wrong with Jamaican people? I've always known the statue was not the image of Paul Bogle it was an interpretation just as the image of George Washington on the US currency is not the actual likeness of the man but an artist rendition. Are Jamaicans so simplistic and incapable of understanding that most sculptures are not exact replicas of individuals but approximations or interpretations of those peoples likeness. The level of ignorance in Jamaica just never ceases to amaze me.

Norman Lee
3/16/2010

I too was of the belief that this was Paul Bogle's statue. I do not recall as a boy that it was ever portrayed or presented as a monument to Bogle and the Morant Bay Rebellion. I passed on to my children that it is Bogle's statue!

With the passing of Rex recently, I dug into my video archives and recovered him narrating the life and works of Edna Manley, the creator of that sculpture. Unfortunately it did not include anything about that piece. As a close confidant, he is no longer around to provide any insight of her interpretations. We lose so much when we lost Rex!

Perhaps, the redoubtable Eddie Seaga who was the minister responsible for Jamaica's cultural revival and commissioning the sculpture maybe able to provide that insight. Alternatively, the JIS could revisit 1965 by broadcasting the unveiling of the sculpture for the "younger" generation to educate themselves on what was the intention of that sculpture.

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Morant Bay's passion over the Paul Bogle Statue