What’s With That Random Simon Bolivar Statue?

The Maryland Curiosity Bureau

There’s a tiny park in Baltimore’s Guilford neighborhood that’s home to an improbable monument. It’s a bronze bust of Simon Bolivar, who liberated Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia from Spanish colonial rule. Questions abound: Who made this thing? Was it a gift? Who was it from? How and why is it here? And what message should we take from it? Get ready for a trip down a historical rabbit hole that spans centuries, from the Colonial Era to the Cold War.

In this episode, we hear from:

Public historian Aimee Pohl, who's written an article about the statue and produced a video feature on the subject for Baltimore Heritage.

Christy Thornton, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins University

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