Seafarers’ Memorial

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john sefton
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Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Seafarers’ Memorial

Post by john sefton » Sun Jul 17, 2022 1:41 pm

It’s an almost surreal experience walking or driving past riverside offices along the Thames towards Lambeth Bridge from the south, when the bows of a ship emerge suddenly from an office building: a ten tonne, seven metre high bronze vessel, with a seafarer on the prow. Appropriately sited, this monumental sculpture, the Seafarers’ Memorial, stands outside the headquarters of The International Maritime Organization, the only branch of the United Nations to have its main offices in London.

The sculpture, dedicated to seafarers all over the world was commissioned by the International Maritime Organization to mark their 50th anniversary. The aim was to highlight “the pivotal role seafaring plays in world trade and to serve as a memorial to all seafarers who have been lost at sea.”

Distinguished sculptor Michael Sandle created the winning design featuring a cargo ship. Quoted in an article on the IMO website, he explained “I have chosen a ship because it signals immediately and unmistakably what the Organization is about.” The work was unveiled on September 27, 2001. The finance for the memorial came from a Trust Fund established to mark the 50th anniversary of the IMO, and was one of several projects running at the time. The International Transport Worker’s Federation was a major contributor and their General Secretary, David Cockcroft said that he welcomed the memorial and hoped it would remind people “of the hazards faced daily by the world’s seafarers.”

In his submission to the IMO Committee responsible for choosing the winning design for the memorial, Michael Sandle wrote “The crew member, the ‘seafarer’ standing on the prow, about to throw a line, is dressed as a contemporary marine operative because there are ships like this still in service.”
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