Unconditional Surrender (sculpture) facts for kids
Unconditional Surrender is a series of large statues created by Seward Johnson. These statues look like a very famous photograph from 1945 called V–J day in Times Square, taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt. However, Johnson said his statues were based on a similar, less known photo by Victor Jorgensen. This other photo is free for anyone to use.
The first statue was put up for a short time in Sarasota, Florida. Later, it moved to San Diego, California and New York City. Other copies of the statue have been placed in Hamilton, New Jersey; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; and Normandy, France. Johnson later started calling the statue "Embracing Peace" at art shows.
Contents
First Statue in Sarasota (2005)
Seward Johnson first made a life-size bronze version of Unconditional Surrender. He used computer technology to help create it. A very large 25-foot (7.6 m)-tall version made of styrofoam was shown in Sarasota, Florida, in 2005. It was part of a temporary art show by the bay.
Johnson then made bigger versions of the statue out of aluminum. He sold these through a group he started called the Sculpture Foundation. He offered copies made of styrofoam, aluminum, and bronze.
San Diego Installation (2007)
After being shown in Florida, the statue was moved to San Diego, California. It traveled on a large truck. The statue was placed temporarily in Tuna Harbor Park in 2007 by the Port of San Diego. This statue was made of foam with a special outer layer. It was supposed to stay until August 2010 but remained until May 2012. Then, it was taken apart and sent to New Jersey for repairs.
Many people did not like where the statue was placed. An art critic named Robert L. Pincus said the statue looked like something from a "cheap souvenir factory." He also called it kitsch, which means it was seen as overly decorative and not truly artistic. Other critics also felt the statue was not beautiful or artistic.
Return to Sarasota (2009)
In 2009, there was interest in bringing the statue back to Sarasota. An aluminum copy was placed by the bay again for a short time. An 88-year-old person who served in World War II offered to pay a large amount of money for it.
Some people in the community liked the statue, but others thought it was not good enough for the bay front. The head of the Public Art Committee said it was like "a giant cartoon image" copied from a famous photo. She felt it was not a true creation by an artist. The statue quickly became a topic of debate. Some people wanted it removed.
Joel May, an architect in Sarasota, wondered if the statue copied the famous V–J day in Times Square photo too closely. That photo was published in Life magazine in 1945 and was still protected by copyright. Johnson said he knew about this. He said he used a different photo of the kissing couple by Victor Jorgensen, which was free to use. The city's lawyers said Johnson and the donor had met all the rules. This allowed the statue to be shown for at least ten years.
On April 26, 2012, a car crashed into the Sarasota statue. The crash made a large hole in the sailor's foot and caused cracks. The city took the statue down. It was laid on its side while insurance companies discussed repairs. The statue was put back up near the Sarasota shoreline in December 2012.
In March 2012, the San Diego Unified Port District decided to buy a permanent bronze statue. This decision caused strong disagreement, and three board members resigned. Despite the debate, a new bronze statue was built. It was made to last longer in the weather. The Midway Museum helped raise US$1 million for it.
Hamilton, New Jersey (2010)
A 25-foot styrofoam Unconditional Surrender statue was put on display in Hamilton, New Jersey. It was part of a special art show honoring Seward Johnson. This show ran from May 2014 to July 2015 at the Grounds for Sculpture. A writer for The Trentonian newspaper called the statue a "masterpiece."
Pearl Harbor (2011)
In August 2011, a life-size version of the statue was shown in Waikiki, Hawaii. Later, it was moved to the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor. It was placed there to remember the 66th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Civitavecchia, Italy (2012)
In 2012, a very large Unconditional Surrender statue was seen in Civitavecchia Marina in Italy.
San Diego Re-installation (2013)
The new bronze Unconditional Surrender statue arrived in San Diego on February 11, 2013. On February 14, 2013, it was bolted into place near its first location.
Caen, France (2014)
In September 2014, the statue was moved from Civitavecchia to the Caen Memorial in Normandy. In Civitavecchia, many people protested against the statue being moved. The installation in Caen also caused debate. In October 2014, a French group called Osez La Feminisme asked for the statue to be sent back to the United States. They said that the sailor could have laughed or hugged the woman. Instead, they felt he grabbed her with "clenched fists" to kiss her, which they saw as a forceful act. After this, the Caen memorial added a plaque under the statue to explain more about the nurse in the photo.
New York City (2015)
On August 12, 2015, the original statue was temporarily put in Times Square, New York City. This was near where the famous photo was taken. It was shown until August 16 for a "Times Square Kiss-In" event.
Other Locations Around the World
Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy
You can find another very tall statue in Civitavecchia, Italy. It is a popular place for cruise ships. The statue looks out over the sea and is a short walk from the cruise terminals.
Sarasota, Florida
A copy of the statue in Sarasota, Florida, is a popular spot for photos. It is located at the corner of Bayfront and Gulf Stream. A World War II veteran named Jack Curran donated it. A plaque at the base of the statue says that several veteran groups helped donate it to the county.
Royal Oak, Michigan
The statue arrived in Royal Oak, Michigan, on June 18, 2016. It was installed in the city's Memorial Park on June 20. City officials hoped the statue would bring more visitors and help raise money for The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial. This is a permanent World War II memorial in the park.
Images for kids
-
A tag on the Unconditional Surrender statue in Sarasota, Florida
-
A copy of Unconditional Surrender in Caen, France
-
A copy of Unconditional Surrender in Manhattan in 2015
