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Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt

Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt is a 1939 bronze sculpture by James Earle Fraser. It stood on public park land at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The work shows Theodore Roosevelt on horseback, accompanied on either side by two walking figures: a Native American and a sub-Saharan African. Over time, the statue drew increasing criticism for its hierarchical implications, leading to calls for its removal beginning in 2017. The museum asked city officials to remove it in 2020, and the statue was taken down on January 20, 2022. It was slated for relocation to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota.

Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue with a rearing horse and two standing figures in front of the American Museum of Natural History.
The Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue stands on a stone pedestal outside the American Museum of Natural History.
September 2020 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue in front of a grand museum building, with Roosevelt on horseback flanked by two walking figures.
The Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue stands in front of the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.
June 2014 © · CC BY 3.0
Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue beneath a banner for The Nature of Color at a museum entrance.
The Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue stands under a banner for The Nature of Color at the American Museum of Natural History.
October 2020 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue with a horse, a walking figure in a feathered headdress, and leafy green trees behind it.
Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue stands among leafy trees, with a horseback figure and a guide beside the horse.
April 2012 © · Public domain
Nighttime view of the American Museum of Natural History plaza with illuminated stone reliefs and inscribed plaques in the foreground.
The plaza in front of the American Museum of Natural History at night, showing the area where the Theodore Roosevelt Equestrian Statue once stood.
November 2022 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleEquestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt
Typeequestrian statue
SubjectTheodore Roosevelt

Historical context

Date created1939

Creator

ArtistJames Earle Fraser

Discovery and provenance

Commissioned byRoosevelt Memorial Association
Commission date1930s

Physical characteristics

CompositionPyramidal composition with Roosevelt at the apex
Figures depictedTheodore Roosevelt on horseback with two walking figures, one Native American and one sub-Saharan African
Symbolic figuresThe two walking figures have been interpreted as allegorical representations of Africa and America

Materials

MaterialBronze

Location and ownership

Future destinationTheodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota
Current statusIn storage
Current locationNorth Dakota, at the site where the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is under construction
Part ofA larger memorial to Theodore Roosevelt
Original placementAt the entrance to the museum's diorama hall dedicated to Carl Akeley
Designed for settingDesigned for this location and for Henry Bacon's neoclassical architectural plans
Original locationThe plaza in front of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City

History and restoration

Unveiled1940
Public controversyIt was not the subject of major public controversy until the 2010s, when criticism of its hierarchical implications intensified
Calls for removal began2017
VandalismThe base was covered in red paint on October 26, 2017
Removal request announcedJune 21, 2020
Museum actionThe American Museum of Natural History asked city officials to remove the statue
Removal supported byNew York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Theodore Roosevelt IV, Theodore Roosevelt III, and Mark Roosevelt
Public Design Commission decisionOn June 21, 2021, the New York City Public Design Commission unanimously voted to relocate the statue from the museum to an institution dedicated to Roosevelt's life and legacy
Removal dateJanuary 19, 2022
Future display statusNo current plans for public display have been announced