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Eleanor Rathbone artwork
unveiled
ARTWORK commemorating Eleanor Rathbone,
1 of Liverpool's greatest political figures, is set to be unveiled.
The work by renowned artist Lulu Quinn is located in the walled garden of
Greenbank Park, formerly the estate of the Rathbone family, and is a significant
contribution to the national:- "Remembering Eleanor Rathbone" campaign
marking the 70th Anniversary of her death.
It will be officially unveiled, on Friday, 9 December 2016, at 12 noon, in a ceremony
attended by Lulu Quinn, Councillor Ann O'Byrne, the Deputy Mayor of Liverpool,
Louise Ellman MP, Lesley Urbach, from the national Remembering Eleanor Rathbone
campaign, Lynn Collins, the Secretary of North West TUC, local Councillors and
community representatives.
Lulu Quinn has extensive experience of working on innovative public artworks
throughout the country. Her work at Greenbank Park features three quotations
taken from Eleanor's writings about women's suffrage, the family allowance bill
and her campaigns for the rights of refugees. The work has been created out of Corten steel sheets.
Corten is used in shipbuilding a reference to Eleanor's
family business .It is a material that will slowly age and deepen in colour
gaining an attractive coppery patina.
She said:- "I wanted to use Eleanor Rathbone's words to animate the
garden. In the current political climate her words are the voice of reason and
rationality. They will not date and are part of an on-going dialogue for
generations."
Greenbank Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins said:- "Eleanor Rathbone was
a towering and inspirational figure and we wanted to make sure her words lived
on.
Lulu Quinn has produced a very fitting tribute to her which will adorn an area
associated with Eleanor's family. In this anniversary year, and at a time
when there has been a great deal of focus on many of the issues she campaigned
about, we are very pleased that Eleanor will be honoured in this way."
Eleanor Florence Rathbone (1872 to 1946) was 1 of the 20th Century's greatest
humanitarian activists, who throughout her working life sought to improve the
lives of the underrepresented in society, regardless of race, religion or
gender.
As a fearless and determined feminist, suffragist, pioneering social and welfare
reformer and Independent MP from 1929, she followed her conscience and the
family motto:- 'what ought to be done can be done.'
Most notably, her 25 year campaign for a universal benefit to be paid to mothers
succeeded with the passing of the Family Allowance Act in 1945. Less well known
is her relentless campaigning on behalf of refugees in and from Fascist and Nazi
occupied Europe, before and during the 2nd World War, which earned her the
soubriquet, especially amongst the Jewish refugee community:- 'MP for refugees.'
She grew up in Greenbank House, now part of the Liverpool University estate,
into a family with a tradition of political and social campaigning in the City.
Her father and grandfather were Liberal MPs in the City.
Eleanor attended Oxford University, but as a woman, was not allowed to graduate.
She was the first woman to be elected to the City Council and represented Granby
from 1909 to 1934. In 1929 she was elected as an independent MP for the Combined
Universities seat, a position she held until her death.
• The artwork, cost £10,000, and was funded through a number of sources
including public subscription. |
