Clue to who installed the Colston statue discovered by conservators: A 1895 magazine rolled up inside the figure's coat
Staff from a Bristol Museum tasked with cleaning the torn-down statue of slave trader Edward Colston have made some surprise discoveries inside.
The torn down statue was recovered yesterday morning (June, 11).
The monument was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter march in the city at the weekend, before being thrown in the harbour.
Bristol Culture conservators spent yesterday cleaning the statue before it is placed in a museum alongside the placards left by protesters in front of the empty plinth.
During the conservation, a clue to the people who first installed the statue in Bristol was discovered: a 1895 magazine rolled up inside the coat tails.
After careful cleaning and drying, M Shed said they found someone had handwritten the names of those who originally fitted the statue and the date on the inside pages: October 26th 1895.
M Shed has reassured people that the symbolism of Colston's graffiti’d body has been preserved and the significance of it will be an important story to tell.
On Twitter, one conservator commented: "The paint itself isn't very stable so that will be the trickiest thing to deal with when a more detailed treatment plan is being discussed.
"We also have some of the rope used to fell him so this will also be retained."
Bristol City Council has said the statue will be temporarily stored in a “secure location” before being placed in a museum.