NYC's Museum of Natural History hides 'racist' Theodore Roosevelt statue under tarp and scaffolding ahead of long-term loan to Roosevelt's North Dakota presidential library

  • The controversial statue of Theodore Roosevelt on the front steps of the American Museum of Natural History has been blocked from view 
  • The Roosevelt statue in New York City will find a new home in North Dakota
  • It will be on a long-term loan at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, which is set to open in 2026
  • The statue depicts the 26th president of the United States atop a horse with a Native American and black man walking alongside him 
  • Critics have complained that the statue signifies a racial hierarchy in which Roosevelt stands higher than the other two 
  • The statue has greeted guests at the front of the museum since 1940 
  • The New York City Public Design Commission unanimously voted to remove the piece in June after the controversy around the statue bubbled over

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City has covered the controversial statue of President Theodore Roosevelt ahead of its long-term loan to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota.  

The statue, which stood on the front steps of the museum for eight decades, has been hidden under a tarp and scaffolding. It was covered up just two weeks after the removal was announced, with the process to shift the 80 year-old monument set to take several months, according to museum staff. 

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, which is set to open in Medora, North Dakota in 2026, announced their agreement with the City of New York for a long-term loan two weeks ago. No information on how long the loan is intended to last for has been provided by the museum. 

The Roosevelt statue was commissioned by the Board of Trustees of the New York State Roosevelt Memorial in 1929 and welcomed guests at the front of the American Museum of Natural History since 1940. 

The statue has long been criticized, however, for its depiction of Roosevelt on horseback alongside a black man and Native American, which critics have said signifies a racial hierarchy in which Roosevelt stands higher than the other two.  

The controversial statue of Theodore Roosevelt on the front steps of the American Museum of Natural History has been blocked from view

The controversial statue of Theodore Roosevelt on the front steps of the American Museum of Natural History has been blocked from view 

The statue was covered in tarp and scaffolding two weeks after it was announced that the controversial piece will be moved to Roosevelt's Presidential Library in North Dakota

The statue was covered in tarp and scaffolding two weeks after it was announced that the controversial piece will be moved to Roosevelt's Presidential Library in North Dakota

The statue depicts Roosevelt riding a horse with a Native American and black man walking alongside him

The statue depicts Roosevelt riding a horse with a Native American and black man walking alongside him 

Objections to the statue grew more forceful in recent years, especially after the murder of George Floyd that sparked a racial reckoning and a wave of protests across the US. 

While opposition to the statue has reached an all-time high, others are upset by the statue's removal. 

Stefano Forte, whose running for New York Senate, tweeted: 'So sad to go by the Museum of Natural History today and see the statue of Teddy Roosevelt all covered up.'

'We need icons like Teddy to inspire the next generation of trust-busters and populists. Tearing this statue down and erasing his image is a damn shame.'

Twitter user @olivetreebeck shared a photo of the statue before and after it was covered commenting: 'We used to be a country. A proper country.'

@phil_oliva suggested: 'Ok. But replace it with another, more fitting Theodore Roosevelt statue.' 

The statue's long-term loan was announced in a statement last month. 

Critics have complained that the statue signifies a racial hierarchy in which Roosevelt stands higher than the Native American and the black man

Critics have complained that the statue signifies a racial hierarchy in which Roosevelt stands higher than the Native American and the black man

But others have expressed their dismay at the removal of the iconic statue

But others have expressed their dismay at the removal of the iconic statue 

'We are grateful to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library for proposing a fitting new home for the Equestrian Statue,' Vicki Been, New York City's Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development said according to a statement. 

'This long-term loan would allow an important part of the City's art collection to be appropriately contextualized, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Library on next steps.' 

The piece was sculpted by James Earl Fraser and intended to 'celebrate Theodore Roosevelt as a devoted naturalist and author of works on natural history,' the museum says on its website, and notes that Roosevelt's father, Theodore Roosevelt Sr., was one of the museum's founders. 

'Rather than burying a troubling work of art, we ought to learn from it,' Theodore Roosevelt V, a descendant of the late president said. 

'It is fitting that the statue is being relocated to a place where its composition can be recontextualized to facilitate difficult, complex, and inclusive discussions.'  

In 2019, the museum ran an exhibit about the statue and how it was perceived by the public. The 'Addressing the Statue' exhibition opened up a conversation with museum attendees about the place of the statue in today's world.

The controversial statue of the 26th US president will find a new home at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Foundation in North Dakota 

The Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota is set to open in 2026 

'Rather than burying a troubling work of art, we ought to learn from it,' Theodore Roosevelt V, a descendant of the late President said commenting on the controversial statue's move

The museum is on city-owned property and Mayor Bill de Blasio supported removal of the 'problematic statue.'

'The American Museum of Natural History has asked to remove the Theodore Roosevelt statue because it explicitly depicts Black and Indigenous people as subjugated and racially inferior,' de Blasio said at the time.

'The City supports the Museum’s request. It is the right decision and the right time to remove this problematic statue.'  

The museum released a statement at the time, saying: 'Over the last few weeks, our Museum community has been profoundly moved by the ever-widening movement for racial justice that has emerged after the killing of George Floyd.

'We also have watched as the attention of the world and the country has increasingly turned to statues and monuments as powerful and hurtful symbols of systemic racism.

'While the Statue is owned by the City, the Museum recognizes the importance of taking a position at this time. We believe that the Statue should no longer remain and have requested that it be moved.' 

After years of protests, in June, 2020, amid the demonstrations over the murder of George Floyd, the city vowed to have the statue removed. It was later vandalized with red paint. 

The New York City Public Design Commission unanimously voted to remove the piece a year later.  The removal of the statue from the museum steps will take several months and is expected to begin later this fall. 

Over the years, the statue has been defaced by activists calling for its removal

Over the years, the statue has been defaced by activists calling for its removal 

Bowing to pressure from the protestors on June 21, 2021, the New York City Public Design Commission voted unanimously to relocate the statue

Bowing to pressure from the protestors on June 21, 2021, the New York City Public Design Commission voted unanimously to relocate the statue

Roosevelt's legacy has been cast in a new light in recent years, with his support of eugenics entering the spotlight as anti-racism protests took hold of the country following the killing of George Floyd.

The statue has been defaced on several occasions through the years, most recently this summer when building security informed police a few minutes after midnight that two people - a woman and a man - had sprayed the base of the bronze statue with paint before running off.

The statue's removal comes as monuments to figures now deemed racist or problematic by activists have been removed from sites across the country. 

In particular, statues of Confederate figures in the South have been toppled in the wake of the police killing Floyd, which sparked nationwide protests demanding an end to systemic racism.

Statues that paid tribute to the likes of Christopher Columbus, Robert E. Lee and George Washington were among those removed or defaced during anti-racism protests.

While there's no official number of statues taken down over the last year, the Southern Poverty Law Center previously revealed that 168 Confederate symbols were removed in 2020, including 94 monuments.

 

'Cowboy' president who set up America's first National Park but has been blasted by anti-racism activists for his support of eugenics

Theodore Roosevelt at Yellowstone Park. He was the founder of the national parks system

Theodore Roosevelt at Yellowstone Park. He was the founder of the national parks system

Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909.

The Republican, whose face is depicted on Mount Rushmore alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, is credited with laying the groundwork for the modern Democratic party. 

Roosevelt had developed a 'cowboy' image and that of a brave, masculine warrior during his presidency. 

In more recent years, however, Roosevelt's legacy has been viewed through a more critical lens. 

Roosevelt during a campaign rally speech in 1900. He served as president from 1901 to 1909

Roosevelt during a campaign rally speech in 1900. He served as president from 1901 to 1909

He was a vocal supporter of eugenics, with a belief in white superiority, and that the poor and criminals should be sterilized to prevent procreation. 

When he famously fought in Cuba as part of the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War of 1898, he would refuse to give credit to the African American soldiers that historians say were crucial to victory after his disastrous decision in battle to charge up San Juan hill.   

He would write in his memoir that black soldiers could only be effective when led by white officers, according to Smithsonian Magazine

Detractors have also said that Roosevelt's establishment of the national parks system came at the expense of some Native American tribes, who were displaced during many of the parks' founding.

Roosevelt with the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War. His detractors said his actions there led to further American interventions in Latin America

Roosevelt with the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War. His detractors said his actions there led to further American interventions in Latin America 

Other critiques of Roosevelt's legacy involve his imperialist tendencies, and that his involvement in the war would pave the way for further, colonial interventions in the Phillipines, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico, according to the New York Times. 

His progressive policies, however, leveled the playing field between rich and poor, and this mantle would be carried forward in the modern liberalism of his cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency. 

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