Erection date: 1/5/1912
{Inscribed on the sculpture:}
Geo. Frampton, R. A. 1912
{On a plaque laid into the ground in front of the sculpture:}
Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up.
Sculptor Sir George Frampton, R.A. 1860 - 1928. This bronze, a gift of Sir James Barrie OM, 1860 - 1937, the creator of Peter Pan, was placed here 1st May 1912.
HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon unveiled this plaque presented by the Friends of Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens 1st May 1997.
The first Peter Pan, Nina Boucicault, (always a woman) modelled for the statue in 1911. Barrie personally commissioned the sculpture and arranged for its erection in Kensington Gardens. Frampton’s memorial in St Paul’s, London, has a figure holding a model of this statue.
The plaque was laid on the 85th anniversary of the erection of the statue.
We were surprised to learn that this statue was once tarred and feathered. The terrific Londonist brought this strange truth to our attention.
Arthur Rackham's illustrations for the 1905 book 'Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens' are wonderful - see them at the Library Time Machine.
From our contact at the excellent Parlanti Bronze Foundries we have learnt that there are 6 replicas of this statue, all cast by Parlanti: Brussels, Newfoundland, New Jersey, Liverpool, Perth and Toronto.
Our Parlanti contact has also shared with us a clipping from the Mail on Sunday, showing a letter written by Charles McKinnon who had had, 1947-50, business involvement with Parlanti Castings. The boss there had told McKinnon that Barrie had been very temperamental. "He demanded that the statue of Peter .. had to be installed overnight, the idea being that since Peter was magic, his statue should 'magically' appear, with lawn and flowers all around it. I was told that getting a suitable crane, mobile arc lights and power supply to that part of the Gardens in those early days of electricity - and doing all the work between 10pm and 5am, was a nightmare."
2024: An American Facebook page has: ‘The first statue of Peter Pan in London, England, was erected in secret during the night and 'magically' appeared on 1st May 1912. There was no publicity before the statue's arrival and on the day, J.M. Barrie … placed this announcement in The Times: "There is a surprise in store for the children who go to Kensington Gardens to feed the ducks in the Serpentine this morning. Down by the little bay on the south-western side of the tail of the Serpentine they will find a May-day gift by Mr J.M. Barrie, a figure of Peter Pan blowing his pipe on the stump of a tree, with fairies and mice and squirrels all around. It is the work of Sir George Frampton, and the bronze figure of the boy who would never grow up is delightfully conceived."’
Site: Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1 memorial)
W2, Kensington Gardens
An article in the Telegraph describes how Barrie's walks in these gardens inspired the story of Peter Pan. Barrie is supposed to have chosen the site for this sculpture.
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