Subject (Topic)
Abolitionists--United States
Anti-slavery movements--United States
Public art
Public sculpture
New York--History
Northeastern United States
Slavery--New York (State)
Subject (Name)
Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895
Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture
Dunlap, David, W. "No Debate: It’s Lincoln and Douglass." New York Times, November 1, 2011. Accessed October 31, 2019, https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/no-debate-its-lincoln-and-douglass/March.
Saxena, Jaya. "Creating the Humanity in Bronze Statues." Behind the Scenes, New-York Historical Society, March 14, 2012. Accessed October 31, 2019, http://behindthescenes.nyhistory.org/creating-the-humanity-in-bronze-statues/.
"Meet Michael, the Living Historian Behind Our Frederick Douglass Statue (Part I)." History Detectives, New-York Historical Society, February 5, 2018. Accessed, May 24, 2020, http://historydetectives.nyhistory.org/2018/02/meet-living-historian-behind-new-york-historicals-frederick-douglass-statue-part-1/.
"Meet the Living Historian Behind Our Frederick Douglass Statue (Part II)." History Detectives, New-York Historical Society, February 26, 2018. Accessed, May 24, 2020, http://historydetectives.nyhistory.org/2018/02/meet-living-historian-behind-frederick-douglass-statue-part-ii/.
Hines, Glenn M., 1950-
Subject (Topic)
Africa
Public art
Public sculpture
Ouidah--Benin--History
Slave trade
Slave trade--Africa--History
Slave trade--Benin--Ouidah--History
Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture
Memorial Arches
Located on the sandy shores of Ouidah, Benin, the monumental concrete red, white, and yellow-painted gate and the metallic sculptures that flank it, commemorate the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The memorial gate, which marks the point where African captives were forced onto transatlantic slave ships, is connected by a path, known as the “Slave Route,” to the market square, where enslaved people were once sold. The memorial arche is embellished with a frieze, depicting two lines of enslaved people bound at their hands and chained together as they walk towards waiting ships. The columns are adorned with sculptures depicting men and women captives, their extremities bound, as they kneel and await their fate in Portuguese-built forts. The back of the gate is adorned with depictions of their native towns. Yves Ahouangnimon was the architect for the project; Fortuné Bandiera created figures and bas reliefs on the columns; Yves Apollinaire Pèdé created the bas-reliefs on the center arch and two free-standing egungun; and Dominique Kouas created the copper statues.
Inscription on marble plaque on right side of arch:
Ce Monument Commemoratif
A Ete Inauguree Le 30-11-95
Par Son Excellence
Le President Nicephore Dieudonne Soglo
Et Le Directeur General De L'UNESCO
Monsieur Federico Mayor
A L'Occasion De La Celebration De L'Annee 1995
Comme L' Annee Internationale De La Tolerance
Inscription on marble plaque on left side of arch:
LA PORTE du NON retour
--Ses Figurines et ses bas-relief en colonnes
d'esclaves a été conue et réalisée
par Fortuné Bandeira
--L'agencament ou terrassement
par l'Architect Ahouangnimon Yves
--Les Statues en cuivre rouge
par Gnonnou Dominique Kouass
--Les bas-relief du mur de ceinture et
les deux Statues répresentant des
Egun-Egun (Esprit des esclaves)
par Yves Kpede
-Sous la présidence du Ministre d'Etat
Désiré Vieyra
et la coordination de
Mr. Noureini Tidjani-Serpos
Akhtar, Saima and David H. Colmenares. "The Slaving Port of Ouidah and Monumental Discourse around the Atlantic Perimeter." Art Histories and Aesthetic Practices, January 27, 2016. Accessed May 13, 2019, https://medium.com/from-traditional-to-contemporary-aesthetic/the-slaving-port-of-ouidah-and-monumental-discourse-around-the-atlantic-perimeter-a41968341a57.
Subject (Topic)
Abolitionists--United States
Anti-slavery movements--United States
Public art
Public sculpture
New York--History
Northeastern United States
Subject (Name)
Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895
Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture
Inscription at base of sculpture:
Frederick Douglass Circle
Vinne Bagwell
2008
Inscription on sheet in Douglass' hand:
"Until color shall cease to be a bar to equal participation in the offices and honor of the country, this discussion will go on... Until the American people shall make character and not color the criterion of respectability, this discussion will go on..." --1883
Inscription on granite circle:
Need text
Bagwell, Vinnie, "Frederick Douglass Circle." Coda Worx. Accessed October 31, 2019: https://www.codaworx.com/project/frederick-douglass-circle-hofstra-university.
"Hofstra Happenings-Special 2008: Historic Sculpture Dedicated at Hofstra University." Hofstra Magazine, December 14, 2007. Accessed May 23, 2020, https://news.hofstra.edu/2007/12/14/hofstra-happenings-special-2008/.