Mount Rushmore, USA. Wikipedia.
Problem
Street names in foreign cities, even your own city, sound long complicated. Statues show people you don't know.
Answer
Snap a few street names and statues, including the plaques underneath, and you'll get an idea of local heroes, or foreign ones.
British History, George V, WWI and WWII
For years I drove along George V Avenue from Hatch End to Harrow. I used to muddle up George V and George VI. Then I realised that the road name probably dated back to the first word war. I linked the alliterative initials of the name fifth and first, and sixth and second. Now I instantly know that anything about George V is commemorating the First World War. 1914-18 centenary commemorations have produced new museums and information in Europe during 2014-18. London is full of statues of kings and queens and famous figures.
Belgium
WWI is commemorated at the Menin Gate in Belgium and numerous battlefield tours and museums.
Australia
In London I saw a statue of Monash. Who? WWI commander. Over in Australia I followed up, seeking out his statues in Melbourne.
Statues which you pass every day on your way to your home or hotel are a constant reminder of any history you have learned, helping anchor it in your brain. That was the purpose of naming a street after somebody famous or putting up their statue.
That's why I love visiting homes of famous people. So much easier to recall the author of a book, and which books they wrote, and where they lived, after you have visited their house.
American Presidents and Elvis
In Washington DC you see the statues of American presidents such as the Lincoln memorial. You can visit their homes. The theatre where Lincoln was shot is forever ingrained in my memory. So is the museum in Dallas, reminding of the shooting of JFK. On a lighter note, the Elvis museums, souvenirs of Elvis everywhere.
Poe in America
I remember Edgar Allen Poe's house in America taught me his poems, such as the raven. We heard about, his short stories, and about his dying cousin who he married.
Bialik in Tel Aviv
Bialik's home in Tel Aviv taught me that he was the man who promoted the idea of Hebrew being revived as the national language, instead of Yiddish. A pity. Yiddish sound so much better! Which words do we get from Hebrew? Only cherubim, which is only useful when looking at art, such as paintings on church ceilings. We use much more Yiddish, keep shtum (quiet), and what a chutzpah! In English we would say what a cheek!
Shakespeare bust outside Guildhall. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Shakespeare in London and Stratford
England's much-visited homes include Shakespeare's house in Statford upon Avon. More recently I saw his bust and that of architect Sir Christopher Wren outside Guildhall in London.
The Brontes In Yorkshire
The Brontes' home is in Haworth, Yorkshire, England. I realised how rich we are, in the 20th and 21st centuries after I saw the museum's display of the young woman's dress, one of only three she possessed, her weekday dress, her Sunday dress, and her best dress for weddings and funerals.
Wales and Dylan
In Wales, I went to Dylan Thomas's boathouse. I learned about how he wrote Under Milk Wood. In Fishguard I saw where they filmed Under Milk Wood and Moby Dick scenes.
Robert Burns portrait. Public Domain. From Wikipedia.
Scotland and Burns
In Scotland, Edinburgh has plaques on the ground recalling famous Scottish authors such as Sir Walter Scott. For the sake of Auld Lang Syne I must visit Ayr which has Robbie Burns' house.
Chaplin in Switzerland
In Switzerland I photographed a statue of Charlie Chaplin. Before that I had never known or never noticed where he lived and died.
Italy - Verona, Puccini and Assissi
In Italy I visited the house of Puccini. And Verona - see Juliet's balcony. Remember another Shakespeare play, Two Gentlemen of Verona. Next visit on my wishlist is Assissi, birthplace and burial place of Francis of Assissi.
If you have a particular interest, you can seek out statues of famous people connected with your interest. For example, history, WWI, WWII, literature, music.
Cuban Hero, Jose Marti
Back to America - a statue of Cuban hero, Jose Marti, is in Central Park, USA. A replica has been erected in Havana in January 2018. It is an equestrian statue (a person on horseback). Somebody new to notice and research.
Looking in Wikipedia I am astonished at the numbers of statues and monuments to him worldwide. His statues are in Cuba, of course, but also in: New York, The USA; Sofia, Bulgaria; Delhi, India, and Rome, Italy.
Jose was a fervent supporter of Cuban independence from Spain. He rode a white horse which made him an easy target and died in battle. In addiiton to the equestrian statue in New York, a bust of him bears one of his qutotations, translated as the fatherland is an altar, not a stepping stone. Interestingly, the word translated as stepping stone is pedestal. Ped - Latin for foot. As the popular saying goes, learn something every day.
Useful websites
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5322413/Havana-unveils-NY-equestrian-statue-Cuban-independence-hero-Marti.html
http://visitusa.org.uk
http://visitbritain.com
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cuba
Author
Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. See my other posts on Robbie Burns, Burns Night and Scotland, and posts on statues, destinations and learning Spanish and other languages. Also take a look at my books on Lulu.com and Amazon. Please share links to your favourite posts and pages.
