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Images courtesy of Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
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Stephen Foster Statue
Pittsburgh has taken down a controversial statue of the storied American songwriter Stephen Foster that depicts the “father of American music” with a black man sitting at his feet, singing and strumming the banjo.
Foster, who was from Pittsburgh, is most remembered for his 19th-century classics, including “Oh! Susanna,” “Hard Times Come Again No More” and “Old Folks at Home” (or “Swanee River”). He also wrote “My Old Kentucky Home,” seen by many as an anti-slavery song.
Crews removed the estimated 800-pound bronze statue Thursday morning from Schenley Plaza, a public park in the Oakland neighborhood. The Post-Gazette reported last year that the Pittsburgh Art Commission voted unanimously to relocate the statue to a “properly contextualized” location.
The statue, created in 1900 by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti, has been a controversial monument, with critics saying it is racist and “glorifies white appropriation of black culture”. Others have argued that it simply shows Foster listening to a song by a black musician.
Though he lived just 37 years, Foster created a significant body of work; the Library of Congress called him “one of America’s principal and most influential songwriters.”
“Although penniless when he died on 10 January 1864, Foster bestowed on America a rich legacy of memorable songs,” the Library of Congress added.
Foster, who was from Pittsburgh, is most remembered for his 19th-century classics, including “Oh! Susanna,” “Hard Times Come Again No More” and “Old Folks at Home” (or “Swanee River”). He also wrote “My Old Kentucky Home,” seen by many as an anti-slavery song.
Crews removed the estimated 800-pound bronze statue Thursday morning from Schenley Plaza, a public park in the Oakland neighborhood. The Post-Gazette reported last year that the Pittsburgh Art Commission voted unanimously to relocate the statue to a “properly contextualized” location.
The statue, created in 1900 by Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti, has been a controversial monument, with critics saying it is racist and “glorifies white appropriation of black culture”. Others have argued that it simply shows Foster listening to a song by a black musician.
Though he lived just 37 years, Foster created a significant body of work; the Library of Congress called him “one of America’s principal and most influential songwriters.”
“Although penniless when he died on 10 January 1864, Foster bestowed on America a rich legacy of memorable songs,” the Library of Congress added.
