The sources on which Clive McWatt relied for this account are located in the British Guiana files in the National Archives, Kew, London.
By Clive Wayne McWatt
‘Art? My Eye! – Mammoth clunk of sculpture for P.O. – Mr & Mrs Georgetown pass verdict’ This headline appeared in the Guiana Chronicle of July 4. 1950.
It was engendered by an article published in the London Evening Standard of June 23, 1950 and set off a public furore in Guyana. It told of a full-scale clay model of a high relief sculpture destined for the General Post Office in British Guiana being exhibited at Frank Dobson’s studio at the Royal College of Art in South Kensington, London. A preceding article in the Manchester Guardian on July 12, 1950 was accompanied by a photograph of Frank Dobson working on his full-scale clay model of the sculpture. The British press was full of admiration for Dobson’s designs: The London Times of July 24, 1950 referred to the sculpture as a “remarkable bas-relief.” These positive reactions were in stark contrast to the reactions of the vox populi of Georgetown who would come to detest this addition to their new GPO building.
Rebuilding from the ashes
The Georgetown fire of February 15, 1945 had devastated some of the prime commercial and public buildings in the city centre, including the original General Post Office building. The now familiar Georgetown city centre buildings – the Guyana Museum,
