Installed at the entrance to the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, the equestrian statue of the 26th President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt, who at one time was also the governor of New York, is sent to a new place of residence – in North Dakota.
Last Friday, it was surrounded by scaffolding and began to be dismantled. The decision to move was made back in June 2020 by the management of the museum and the New York City Design Commission.
Why didn’t Teddy Roosevelt please them? In this case, there are no special complaints about him. The problem was seen in the statue itself. The President proudly stands on a horse, and below, on his sides, on the ground – on one side an Indian, on the other African. And in this arrangement of figures they saw a symbol of colonial oppression and racial discrimination.
Sam Biederman of the New York City Parks Department explained that while there was no malice in this sculptural composition, it is at odds with modern ideas about colonialism and racial issues.
Theodore Roosevelt, while considered a controversial figure in the country’s history, did a lot for her. In particular, he was the founder of the conservation movement and founded the very museum from which he is now separated.
The bronze statue was commissioned in 1929 and has stood at the museum near Central Park since 1940. Those who voted to “expel” Roosevelt from New York argued that he would be better off in some cultural institution dedicated to his life and legacy. The choice fell on the new Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, due to open in 2026.
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Theodore Roosevelt changes registration
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