Roosevelt went on a rough ride.
A statue of Theodore Roosevelt that has stood in front of the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan for more than 80 years was hauled away Wednesday, photos show.
The bronze monument depicting the nation’s 26th president on a horse flanked by an African man and a Native American man — which has sparked protests for glorifying colonialism and racism — was yanked out with a crane just after midnight, leaving behind only its concrete pedestal.
The statue of Teddy Roosevelt is yanked away by a crane. REUTERS
A crane removed the statue of President Theodore Roosevelt from the American Museum of Natural History on Jan. 19, 2022. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs
The statue had been in front of the museum for over 80 years. Robert Miller
The statue had been embroiled in controversy and recent protests. REUTERSThe controversial effigy will be sent to a library in North Dakota on a long-term loan, officials have said.
The $2 million removal, carried out by the museum and the city, comes after the New York City Public Design Commission voted in June to relocate the monument.
Last month, the museum covered the 10-foot-tall statue with an orange tarp ahead of its shipment to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota.
One of the ex-president’s descendants, Theodore Roosevelt V, cheered the removal plan last year, saying it’s “fitting that the statue is being relocated to a place where its composition can be re-contextualized to facilitate difficult, complex and inclusive discussions.”
The Teddy Roosevelt statue is secured before it’s lifted. REUTERS
Workers put up scaffolding around the Roosevelt statue before it was removed. Robert Miller
The statue is being sent on a long-term loan to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota. Robert Miller
A wall and tarp surround where the statue was located outside the museum. AP Photo/Mary AltafferStill, some critics called the relocation a victory for cancel culture — and a blow to history.
The statue came under fire amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020.
