Charles Linn statue
The Charles Linn statue was a portrait statue of Charles Linn commissioned from Branko Medenica and dedicated in the southeast quadrant of Linn Park on May 29, 2013.
The 8-foot-tall statue was commissioned by the Alabama-Mississippi Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in honor of their "Legacy of Leadership" campaign chairman, Arthur Henley, a descendant of Linn.
The statue's appearance was based on an oil portrait hanging in the Linn-Henley Research Library, though the final sculpture includes the addition of a full beard. The banker and industrialist stands looking straight ahead with his hand resting on a short column with relief panels illustrating episodes from his life and career. The column itself is meant to symbolize his role in banking. The inset anchor symbolizes his time as a sea captain. An iron crucible and coal car represent his industrial activities. and a tree recognizes his role in creating a city park. Medenica, whose sister, Emily Wood, died from multiple sclerosis, included a tribute to her in the design.
Medenica supervised the installation of the 800-pound statue on its 5-foot-tall granite base on May 28, 2013. It was dedicated the following day during ceremonies marking "World MS Day".
The statue was pulled down during riots on the night of May 31, 2020, coinciding with national protests in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The statue may have been targeted after the some of the media began to refer to it as a "Confederate Monument". Other monuments in the park were also damaged before police cleared the park shortly after 10:00 PM. The city enforced a curfew the following night.
Medenica has expressed empathy for the protesters' anger, and also his willingness to help restore the memorial if asked.
References
- Bryant, Joseph D. (January 23, 2012) "Statue coming in 2013 for Charles H. Linn, namesake of Birmingham's Linn Park." The Birmingham News
- Natta, Andre (May 28, 2013) "Statue of Linn Park’s namesake to be unveiled Wednesday" The Terminal
- Whitmire, Kyle (June 1, 2020) "When a Confederate monument wouldn’t fall, rioters turned on Birmingham." The Birmingham News
- "Birmingham Statue's Creator Hopes Old Wounds Heal" (June 5, 2020) WVUA23.com
External link
- Legacy Art Trail website