Statue of Francis Scott Key (San Francisco)

Statue of Francis Scott Key
The monument in 2016
Map
Year1888
SubjectFrancis Scott Key
LocationSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Coordinates37°46′17″N 122°28′00″W / 37.77126°N 122.46664°W / 37.77126; -122.46664

A memorial statue of Francis Scott Key stood in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, in the U.S. state of California, from 1888 until 2020.

Original monument

The monument to Francis Scott Key was commissioned by San Francisco businessman James Lick, who donated some $60,000 for a sculpture of Key to be raised in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.[1] The nation's first memorial to Key, it consisted of a sculpture of the seated Key, within a travertine monument displaying text from "The Star-Spangled Banner", and surmounted by a statue of Columbia and four eagles.[1] It was executed by sculptor William W. Story in Rome during 1885–1887, transported to San Francisco, and unveiled on July 4, 1888, near a new music stand.[1][2]

In the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the monument was damaged and, when repaired, it was re-erected in a more prominent position in the park, on the south side of the Music Concourse. In 1967 it was dismantled and taken into storage to allow further expansion of the nearby California Academy of Sciences. When restored to public view, on July 4, 1977, it was placed in yet another location, at the eastern end of the Music Concourse.[1] In the 2010s, the city of San Francisco completed a $140,000 renovation of the Key monument.[1]

Removal and Monumental Reckoning

The statue was toppled by vandals on June 19, 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.[3][4] A year later, on Juneteenth 2021, sculptor Dana King unveiled Monumental Reckoning, comprising 350 sculptures which now encircle the plinth of the empty monument. These 4 feet (1.2 meters) high sculptures represent the first Africans kidnapped from their homeland in Angola and sold into chattel slavery in Virginia in 1619.[5][6] The words "Lift Every Voice" were also installed above the Spreckels Temple of Music in honor of the civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson, author of "Lift Every Voice and Sing", a hymn often referred to as the "Black national anthem".[7][8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Woods, Arnold (April 2020). "The Wandering Key: A Closer Look". Open SF History. San Francisco, CA: Western Neighborhoods Project. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  2. ^ "San Francisco Landmark 96: Francis Scott Key Monument, Golden Gate Park". Noehill in San Francisco. Archived from the original on February 20, 2008. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
  3. ^ "Protest updates: Protesters tear down 2 statues in Golden Gate Park". San Francisco Chronicle. June 20, 2020. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "Demonstrators Topple Statues in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park". NBC Bay Area. 20 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  5. ^ Ogunbayo, Morayo. "'Monumental Reckoning' unveiled in powerful celebration at Golden Gate Park". Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  6. ^ Goldberg, Barbara (June 11, 2021). "'Reckoning' with slavery: toppled Francis Scott Key statue replaced by African figures". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2022-09-12. Retrieved 2022-09-12.
  7. ^ Jackson, Jabari; Martin, Jill (2 July 2020). "The NFL plans to play the Black national anthem before Week 1 games". CNN. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  8. ^ Touré (17 November 2011). "It's Time for a New Black National Anthem". Time. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Francis Scott Key Monument (San Francisco).