“Peter Pan” (Liverpool verion) by Sir George Frampton

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Peter Pan

Sir George Frampton, R.A., P.R.B.S. (1860-1928)

Unveiled 1928; restored 2005

Bronze

Sefton Park, Liverpool

This was a new casting executed close to the end of Frampton's life, at the behest of George Audley, and donated by Audley to the children of Liverpool. It stands beside the magical three-tier late-Victorian Palm House in the park, and is a popular focus for public events.

Figure of Peter Pan (detail)

Orginal London version (many views)

Photograph, caption and commentary by Jacqueline Banerjee, 2009.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL.]

When it was first unveiled, a Peter Pan pageant was performed, and James Barrie himself sent a telegram addressed to "Peter Pan, Sefton Park, Liverpool," urging Peter to behave himself and not to grow bigger. Unfortunately, Frampton died a few weeks before the ceremony. Apart from the original in Kensington Gardens, previous copies exist elsewhere as well, in Bowring Park, St John's, Newfoundland; Camden, New Jersey; and Brussels (Cavanagh 192); in the following year (1929) two last replicas were made, one for Perth and one for Toronto ("Around the World").

Audley was a Southport businessman, an exporter of beer and whiskey, who also requested and donated a second casting of Sir Alfred Gilbert's Eros to the park, as well as giving a large number of paintings to the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.

Bibliography

"Around the World" (Liverpool Museums site). Viewed 10 February 2009.

Cavanagh, Terry. Public Sculpture of Liverpool. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 1997.

"Expansion and Growth of the Walker Gallery" (Liverpool Museums site). Viewed 10 February 2009.

"Sefton Park" (Liverpool Museums site). Viewed 10 February 2009.

Last modified 4 January 2005