Year 1968 (1968) Condition Recreated 2012–2013 Artist Kenneth Budd Subject John F. Kennedy | Type Mosaic mural Location Birmingham, England Created 1968 | |
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Dimensions 4.5 m × 14 m (15 ft × 46 ft) Similar Mosaic, Other artwork | ||
The J. F. Kennedy Memorial in Birmingham, England, is a memorial mosaic mural to John F. Kennedy, by Kenneth Budd.
Contents
The mosaic, commissioned by Birmingham's Irish community, and funded by public subscription, was constructed in panels, at Budd's company in south London, Kenneth Budd and Associates.
Original location
The mosaic was erected on St Chad's Circus (at approx 52.485451°N 1.900173°W / 52.485451; -1.900173), outside the City's Roman Catholic St Chad's Cathedral, in July 1968, at a cost of £5,000. When the road system was redeveloped in 2007 the mosaic was demolished. Key features, including the heads of some of the main figures, were retrieved and retained by Kenneth Budd's son Oliver.
Re-creation
In 2012 it was re-created using new materials. The new mosaic was erected in January 2013, in the city's Irish Quarter, on Floodgate Street in Digbeth, in reworked form, including the controversial addition of a new face, that of former Lord Mayor of Birmingham Mike Nangle, the city's first Irish Lord Mayor. The work was overseen by Budd's son, Oliver, who worked from his father's original drawings. The retained sections were not used as the colours had faded and would not match the new Smalti mosiac tiles. A formal unveiling took place on 23 February 2013.
Composition
Featured alongside Kennedy in the mosaic are his brother Teddy, the Seal of the President of the United States (using real gold), Martin Luther King, American policemen and other figures.
Text
The text gives an incorrect date of 1960, the year he was elected, for the start of his presidency, when he was actually president from January 1961. This inaccuracy was also present in the original creation.
The original mosaic had wording at either side. The wording on the right said (all in upper case):
The recreated mosaic has different words. On the left (again, all in upper case):
and to the right: