Statue of Frederick Douglass (Rochester, New York)

Statue of Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass Monument
The statue in 2018
Map
ArtistStanley W. Edwards
Year1899 (1899)
Medium
SubjectFrederick Douglass
LocationRochester, New York, U.S.
Coordinates43°07′59″N 77°36′29″W / 43.133°N 77.608°W / 43.133; -77.608

A statue of Frederick Douglass sculpted by Stanley W. Edwards, sometimes called the Frederick Douglass Monument,[1] was installed in Rochester, New York in 1899[2] after it was commissioned by the African-American activist John W. Thompson.[2][3] According to Visualising Slavery: Art Across the African Diaspora, it was the first statue in the United States that memorialized a specific African-American person.[4][5]

Originally located by the Rochester station, the statue was moved in 1941 to Highland Bowl, a natural amphitheater in Highland Park. The statue was relocated again in October 2019, becoming the centerpiece of a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Plaza.[6] The base is surrounded by plaques bearing words from Douglass's speeches.[7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference SI was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Frederick Douglass memorial statue and ceremony". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  3. ^ Morry, Emily (2018). "Frederick Douglass Monument". Democrat and Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  4. ^ Visualising Slavery: Art Across the African Diaspora. Bernier, Celeste-Marie,, Durkin, Hannah. Liverpool. 2016. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-78138-429-9. OCLC 956277703.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference DC_20200705 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Greenwood, Marcia (October 31, 2019). "Original Frederick Douglass statue is on the move". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  7. ^ "With a Statue to Frederick Douglass, Blacks Have Their Say in What Freedom Means". The Root. September 2, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2020.