Rock Beats Scissors: Mandela vs Churchill
Washington, DC
An amusing juxtaposition rewards attentive visitors along DC's Embassy Row.
On the south side of Massachusetts Ave. NW stands a statue of Britain's Winston Churchill, with one foot on US soil and the other on British Embassy soil. The 1966 bronze by Artist William McVey shows the World War II Prime Minister with right arm raised, displaying his signature "V"-for-victory hand gesture.
On the other side of the street, is a newer statue of Nelson Mandela in front of the South African Embassy. The work, by South African artist Jean Doyle, depicts the first black president of South Africa -- a former British colony -- with his right fist over his head in triumph, as Mandela was photographed when released from prison in 1990, after 27 years of apartheid government incarceration.
The interaction between the two statues is unintentional, but as South Africa's ambassador noted at the statue's unveiling on September 21, 2013: Rock beats Scissors.
JFK Proposal Booth, Presidents Hangout
Big Green Chair
Statue of the First Korean-American
