Comments on: The Tale Of Old Flo & Her Orphans

By: Polly

Polly — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 16:44:57 +0000

Eleanor, there are multiple copies around the world of many of Moore’s sculptures; since they were cast bronze, more than one was cast in many cases.

By: Eleanor Lakew

Eleanor Lakew — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 14:57:00 +0000

Brilliant article. How I love these massive modernist sculptures in their proper working class environment. I look forward to seeing the sculpture . Then I found this article about Draped Seated Woman about it being sold to a gallery in Australia. I am a little confused!

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/between-beauty-and-power-henry-moores-draped-seated-woman-as-an-emblem-of-the-national-gallery-of-victorias-modernity-1959-68/

By: Phil Maxwell

Phil Maxwell — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 17:12:23 +0000

After the war local authorities were aquiring art for public spaces and appreciation. Now public art is being plundered for private gain and spaces. This parallels the journey of the NHS which was set up for everyone free at the point of need and is now being privatised.

By: Colin

Colin — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 14:54:15 +0000

In the haste to disassemble the GLC in the early 80’s ,many millions of pounds worth of unrecorded public assets were passed from authority to authority without audit trails.Public art was just one area.

In breaking up the GLC the baby was truly tipped out with the bath water.It’s true KL etc did their best to antagonise the Thatcher govt….I remember the unemployment stats being displayed on the roof of County Hall facing the HOC! For all the perceived “savings”of deconstructing this layer of local govt.I’ve never seen one tangible improvement to the daily quality of life for Londoners.

The travesty of County Hall becoming a hotel and the Mayor and the City Hall GLA talking shop doesn’t feel like an improvement to me.

I was proud to work for the GLC..

By: Jane Bartlett

Jane Bartlett — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 13:28:23 +0000

London Wall’s loss is Vancouver’s victory and gain 🙂

Mark, thank you so much for applying the ‘legal brain’ of MoL as well as LMA’s expertise to this.

There may yet be a different outcome. And a certain circularity.

In 1914 the LMA’s ‘owner’ (the City of London Corporation) exceptionally ‘gifted’ — “for the enjoyment of the people of East London” — the freehold of the land that I’ve been asking ‘Tower Hamlets’ to allow Old Flo to come home to, 10 minutes walk from the now demolished Stifford Estate.

Thank goodness for Hansard. And the full public record City of London (Various Powers) Act 1912. Over the years since the title to this riverside site has passed from the LCC to Stepney’s ‘Metropolitan Council’ to L.B Tower Hamlets, the original 1914 deed of transfer (and details of the restrictive covenants), the accounts of the Mansion House Fund, and the Minutes of King Edward Memorial (London) Committee [a public fund-raising body with a roll-call of the Great and the Good as benefactors directing the re-assignment] are all said to have ‘gone missing’, even though the principle person facilitating this act of remarkable philanthropy — Public and corporate — was none other than Sir Thomas Vezey-Strong, Master Stationer, and the Lord Mayor 1910-11. And the person now being asked, amongst others, was none other than the The City Solicitor, by the City’s Director of Open Spaces.

For the 9 months leading up to and indeed throughout the ‘Old Flo’ procurement process earlier this year — which resulted in Sir George Iacobescu’s Canary Wharf Group being named as temporary ‘host’ for the next 3 years, not least on account of them having a ready site, the security infrastructure and suitable insurance already in place — I was in discussion with a third-party corporate patron who’s willing to cover the associated costs of relocation, repair, custom-built accommodation, security and insurance for the foreseeable future from 2020 onwards.

This proposal has the approval of John Biggs — as much as he can commit to any contract beyond his known term of office 🙂

I’ve also had a one-to-one discussions with the said CEO, who is personally committed to doing what he can to ensure a ‘local outcome’ that would ‘seat’ Old Flo somewhere between Copehagen’s Mermaid and New York’s Statue of Liberty, geographically and socio-politically!

If Old Father Thames was to have a mistress waiting for him in Sailortown of Old surely she would be called Old Flo’ ? 🙂

GA has my contact details. [thank you as ever GA 🙂 ]

More than happy to discuss and to help with the ‘long hours’ and hard work — to prove ‘it can be done’, for this one Henry Moore and then others, one by one or en masse.

By: Malcolm

Malcolm — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 12:33:07 +0000

The L.C.C. should never have been abolished. The achievements of the L.C.C. in education, public works and building were quite outstanding. People like Herbert Morrison, who led the L.C.C. during the years that led to the 2nd World War, were visionaries in their belief that people would find real benefit in great works of art being placed within public spaces. The GLC was never the same as the L.C.C. it was too politicised and when Ken Livingstone and his cohort brought it into direct conflict with Thatcher’s government, there was only going to be one outcome, and so it proved. Since the instigation of a London Mayor nothing much has changed. Livingstone, Boris and Khan have all proved themselves to be lesser men in the role, especially Boris who wrought devastation by calling in 17 or 18 high profile building plans and agreeing to every single one, including that of Norton Folgate.
The bare-faced audacity of Lutfur Rahman in attempting to sell Moore’s sculpture says all you need to know about this reptilian creep. It is a matter of record that many of the publicly-owned artworks (and they are OWNED by the public, not local councils) have been stolen, sold and destroyed due to the greed, careless-ness and stupidity of the people who think they are the masters. So credit in large measure to Mark Richards and his accomplices for defying and defeating those who have regard for public art, or indeed, the public. We can only hope that Old Flo is safe from the clutches of the philistines for ever. If only we could get the rest of the lost artworks back. There are still many beautiful sculptures, statues, friezes and decorations, designed by great artists, to be found around London, if you know where to look, but not as many as there should be.
Excellent post GA.

By: Valerie-Jael

Valerie-Jael — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 10:17:46 +0000

What a fascinating story, and so sad that the councils appreciate money more than art. I remember ‘Old Flo’ very well. Our teacher at Raine’s School, Arbour Square, took us there, I think back in 1962 or 1963. It was always great to see such art beautifying the sometimes rather ugly estates, although local residents were not always fans….But they were still proud to have something special, even if they didn’t like it! Valerie

By: Leana Pooley

Leana Pooley — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 09:39:42 +0000

What a fascinating story. The enlightened decision to buy the best art for the public. Then all that brilliant and passionate research and crusading zeal. But, oh dear, what an unfortunate decision by the judge. I hope someone takes up the baton and continues the fight to have these important sculptures protected.

By: Roger

Roger — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 09:39:35 +0000

A fascinating article! We have a Moore “Draped Seated Woman” in the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. Not without controversy of course – see this interesting link from the gallery site regarding its purchase…
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/between-beauty-and-power-henry-moores-draped-seated-woman-as-an-emblem-of-the-national-gallery-of-victorias-modernity-1959-68/
I think we are lucky it’s in the Gallery’s collection and not left to the ignorant “ownership” of local authorities- such a pity for the community who wish to enjoy it and have expectations that their elected representatives will protect the shared cultural property.

By: Helen Breen

Helen Breen — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 09:26:22 +0000

Greetings from Boston,

GA, fascinating stuff. Kudos for your determination and that of others (including the law firm) to persist in digging out background details for your quest. Appreciated your description of Big Flo – “She represented for me a stoic figure full of resolve mixed with a sense of alertness, tension and vulnerability belied by her immense scale.”

I was moved also by the painting “Woman Seated in the Underground” 1941. London endured so much in WWII. Works like this make us never forget …