Peter Pan Pageant - Sefton Park, Liverpool (1928)

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The bronze statue of Peter Pan, one of 6 casts from the original mould of the statue in Kensington Gardens made by British sculptor Sir George Frampton, was gifted to Liverpool’s children by local merchant George Audley – known for his generous work with children.It was erected overnight and the chi(Read More)

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Description

It was erected overnight and the children were told he had just flown in. A Peter Pan Pageant was held to mark the occasion and JM Barrie himself sent a telegram addressed to ‘Peter Pan, Sefton Park’, telling Peter to ‘behave himself and grow no bigger’.

Over the years, it had suffered from the effects of previous restorations, pollution and vandalism: Peter Pan’s pipes were stolen and a squirrel and a fairy's head were cut off the base of the statue. In 2001 the National Museum of Liverpool repaired the statue, thanks to the Victoria & Albert Museum that had plaster copies of the missing sections. Using 3D recording, exact copies of both the fairy head and the pipes were made. A copy of the squirrel was made using more traditional moulding and casting methods. All three pieces were then cast in bronze and reattached to the statue.

A souvenir book was created for the opening ceremony but what it didn't show was that a "real" Peter Pan together with Lost Boys, Captain Hook, crocodile etc participated. Peter Pan was played by Pauline Chase, who famously held the role from 1907 till 1914, brought back from retirement (she would have been over 40 by then - proving that she really didn't grow up). A short film was made by Pathé News which you can watch here https://www.britishpathe.com/v...

(If the link doesn't work, look for The Boy who Wouldn't Grow Up 1928 on the British Pathé website)