Statue of Mary Seacole

The statue you are approaching depicts Mary Seacole, a Jamaican-born nurse and businesswoman who gained fame for her humanitarian work during the Crimean War. Unveiled in 2016 within the gardens of St Thomas' Hospital, this bronze figure is notable as the first in the United Kingdom dedicated to a named Black woman. The artist, Martin Jennings, chose to sculpt Seacole in a pose of forward motion, as if she is walking against a strong wind. This design choice is meant to symbolize her defiance against the various personal and societal obstacles she navigated throughout her life. Behind her stands a large, textured bronze disc cast from soil taken from the site in Crimea where she operated her famous British Hotel, a facility she established to provide food, shelter, and medical care to soldiers.