Statues of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman unveiled in Maryland capitol

2020-02-24T11:04:00-05:00

At a time when states are debating the removal of Confederate monuments, Maryland unveiled bronze statues of famed abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass during a ceremony Monday night in the Maryland State House. The life-sized statues were dedicated during a special joint session of the Maryland General Assembly in the Old House Chamber, the room where slavery was abolished in the state in 1864.

According to ABC News, the statues were dedicated during Black History Month and have been made to show Tubman and Douglass as they would have appeared in age and dress in 1864.

Harriet Tubman. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines. Via marylandmatters.org

"A mark of true greatness is shining light on a system of oppression and having the courage to change it," ABC News reports Adrienne Jones, the state's first black and first female House speaker saying in regards to the new installment. "The statues are a reminder that our laws aren’t always right or just. But there’s always room for improvement."

Defacing the stone: a history of vandalism on famous architectural landmarks

2017-01-03T21:24:00-05:00

For as long as there have been landmarks, there have been people willing to deface them in the name of politics, art, fame or sheer stupidity.

From the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge to the Trevi fountain in Rome, this Guardian article explores a brief history of temporary vandalism on famous landmarks (and it's not just artfully placed tarps: try a dangling VW Beetle!).

From the annals of the vandals:

Archinect - News

Statues of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman unveiled in Maryland capitol

Defacing the stone: a history of vandalism on famous architectural landmarks