| Statue of Thomas Guy | |
|---|---|
 The statue in 2020 | |
 | |
| Artist | Peter Scheemakers |
| Completion date | c. 1732 |
| Subject | Thomas Guy |
| Location | London, England |
| Owner | Guy's & St Thomas' Foundation |
| Website | www.gsttfoundation.org.uk |
Astatue ofThomas Guy stands in the forecourt ofGuy's Hospital in theborough of Southwark inCentral London. The statue isGrade II listed.
Due to Guy's controversial connection with theTransatlantic Slave trade, the statue has come under scrutiny.[1]
Thomas Guy was a British member of Parliament, investor and bookseller. He held shares in theSouth Sea Company. Due to a brief period where the company attempted to sell slaves inSpanish America, he is seen as a controversial figure.
The bronze statue was cast byPeter Scheemakers between 1731 and 1734.[2]
In June 2020, during theGeorge Floyd protests in the United Kingdom following themurder of George Floyd inMinneapolis,Minnesota, many controversial statues became the target of attacks and scrutiny. TheMayor of LondonSadiq Khan established theCommission for Diversity in the Public Realm in order to review statues and monuments in the city. TheGuy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust announced that they would work with Khan on the issue. The Statue was boarded up on 12 June.[3][4] In November 2022, the hoarding around the statue was removed and a plaque explaining Guy's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade was erected.[5]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)51°30′15″N0°05′16″W / 51.5043°N 0.0879°W /51.5043; -0.0879
