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[146274] Rotherhithe : Cumberland Wharf - The Sunbeam Weekly and the Pilgrim's Pocket
Cumberland Wharf, Rotherhithe, London SE16.
The Sunbeam Weekly and the Pilgrim's Pocket.
By Peter McLean, 1991.
Cumberland Wharf is the approximate site from which the 'Mayflower' set sail for America. The Pilgrims, who were persecuted in England, hoped for freedom to practise their faith in the New World. After docking in Southampton to pick up supplies, they finally sailed from Plymouth on 6 September 1620.
In 1991, as part of the redevelopment, the Docklands Development Corporation commissioned local artist Peter McLean to illustrate the Mayflower's historic tale in the form of a statue.
The artist wanted a light-hearted feel to the work and took his inspiration from the 'Sunbeam Weekly', an illustrated children's comic dating from the 1930s.
The resulting sculpture represents the ghost of William Bradford, the famous Governor of the New Plymouth Colony.
He looks shocked and outraged to see how the United States of America has evolved since that first landing. Bradford stands behind a local boy reading the comic, the Pilgrim's eyes widening as he turns the pages that tell the story of America.
The 'Sunbeam Weekly' featured a character named Uncle Jack who would address his readers and introduce the story each week.
[146274] Rotherhithe : Cumberland Wharf - The Sunbeam Weekly and the Pilgrim's Pocket
Cumberland Wharf, Rotherhithe, London SE16.
The Sunbeam Weekly and the Pilgrim's Pocket.
By Peter McLean, 1991.
Cumberland Wharf is the approximate site from which the 'Mayflower' set sail for America. The Pilgrims, who were persecuted in England, hoped for freedom to practise their faith in the New World. After docking in Southampton to pick up supplies, they finally sailed from Plymouth on 6 September 1620.
In 1991, as part of the redevelopment, the Docklands Development Corporation commissioned local artist Peter McLean to illustrate the Mayflower's historic tale in the form of a statue.
The artist wanted a light-hearted feel to the work and took his inspiration from the 'Sunbeam Weekly', an illustrated children's comic dating from the 1930s.
The resulting sculpture represents the ghost of William Bradford, the famous Governor of the New Plymouth Colony.
He looks shocked and outraged to see how the United States of America has evolved since that first landing. Bradford stands behind a local boy reading the comic, the Pilgrim's eyes widening as he turns the pages that tell the story of America.
The 'Sunbeam Weekly' featured a character named Uncle Jack who would address his readers and introduce the story each week.