• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

King Kong Statue

I know they are not the same one Alan!


If you checked the Wikipedia article it might be possible to see the old one on Google Maps / or Google Street Maps (has the old co-ordinates on it). But might have moved since the last check in 2011.
 
Hi Bearnard
I read the the last couple of people whom printed the story about the where about of king Kong went to
I read there story and they said it started at Stratford road motors then called it king Kong motor,s
But the fact of the matter mike the owner started from a little shop office on ladypool road at the top end facing a puband he was trading as ladypool
Motor,s had he got king Kong on top of his building he then called himself the king Kong motors
Later about nine months later he moved to Stratford road spark hill and traded as king Kong motor,s for years
Eventually he sold to the council and it was on the birds custard building for age,s
The previous person said he started at Stratford road as king Kong motors but I put that right by stating it was east ladypool road firstly in brum
By the owner mike then I merely appointed out in responce to those people whom new the horse and waggon pub in hallgreen
Which is just off the wake green road turn left if heading towards SWA Hurst pool park
That's where back in time was the big brand new pub was called the waggon and horses
They had a huge fifteen foot concrete post out side on the front of the pub and within 12 Months some one got there hands on it and nicked it
And that's where and what I said as gone to Ireland ,( in fact the west of Ireland ) that's where it as gone and that's what I said
Because the thread of our heading on the forum was where as king Kong gone
And I said its the same question where as the model of the big statue of the wagon and the model horse as gone
So Bernie not being rude but I think you read it wrong or misinturp what I said best wishes bernard your doing a great job Alan,,,,
 
Am I alone in thinking it was a terrible looking statue, (although a slight improvement on the 3 figures in front of new library)?? Eric
Hi Eric,
No. You are not alone. It is a terrible statue that has been used in the main for commercial purposes and moved from pillar to post. It has no relevance at all to Birmingham and why people are pleading for its return is beyond my comprehension.

Old Boy
 
The definitive answer to the question Whatever Happened to King Kong is stated here and is as previously stated by a number of members. Sadly it appears he never visited Ireland:


King Kong
Modelled on the fictional giant gorilla King Kong, the 550 cm (18 ft)-tall, 890 kg (1,960 lb) fibreglass statue was commissioned for display in Birmingham, by the Peter Stuyvesant for the Sculpture for Public Places Scheme "City Sculpture", in partnership with the Arts Council of Great Britain.
It was constructed at the artist's studio at Hungerford. Munro's brief was to make something "city orientated" and he chose King Kong because of his association with New York and "for my own petty reasons".
After the statue had been on display in Manzoni Gardens for six months, Birmingham City Council was offered the opportunity to purchase the work, but decided not to retain it, and so later in 1972, it was sold for £2,000 to a local used-car dealer, Mike Shanley, who changed the name of his dealership to King Kong Car Co and displayed the statue at his sales lot on the A34 Stratford Road, next to the former Holy Trinity church in the Camp Hill area of the city. While there, it was dressed up as Father Christmas in season. It is likely that a subsequent owner of the statue and lot was a Mr Racey.
By 1976, the King Kong statue had moved to a new location on Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook, close to the Clifton Road junction. It stood at the rear face of the Clifton public house. It was still being used to advertise a King Kong cars dealership at this location.
Edinburgh


The statue in Edinburgh in March 2005, painted pink
In 1976, it was sold for £12,700 to Nigel Maby's Scottish company Spook Erection Ltd and displayed at Ingliston Market in Edinburgh. During that period, it was falsely reported destroyed and repainted several times, including once in Tartan and, in 2001, in shocking pink. Before removal from Edinburgh on the closure of that market in 2005, the statue suffered damage by vandals to its back, and a broken arm, requiring repair.
Penrith


The repaired and repainted statue was seen at Penrith, in April 2008
It was subsequently displayed at Skirsgill Auction Mart, a market site in Penrith, and was still there in January 2011 albeit lying down, in a car park near its former position. There were calls for it to be returned to Birmingham, but the owner, Lesley Maby (wife of the late Nigel), refused to sell it




From the Birmingham Mail Birmingham Mail 25 April 2012
The owner of King Kong has again offered to donate the giant ape’s statue back to Birmingham – if the council handed over the running of the retail markets.
Cumbria-based Lesley Maby said the legendary ape could return to his spiritual home near the Bull Ring but made it clear the deal hinged on her longstanding desire to run a market in the city.
Mrs Maby has offered to meet Birmingham City Council officials to discuss a deal for Kong, who is currently lying discarded flat on his back in a Penrith car park next to Spook’s headquarters.
But her suggestion has already been cold-shouldered by stallholders, who said they didn’t want privatisation of the market at any price.
Mrs Maby, who runs markets operator Spook Erections, said: “I would be prepared to bring King Kong back to Birmingham if the local authority allowed me to operate the market”.
 
King Kong is happy and retired at his owners home in Penrith.
His colour is black at the moment.
Kind permission by Lesley Maby
10928559_1539113153035439_701846851_n.jpg10941699_1539113579702063_1432135997_n.jpg
 
Many thanks for these Frothy - great work in producing a fitting close to this thread.

BernardR
 
Goodness it looks awful I agree with Old Boy. But then I was never a fan.....
 
At lease he looks like a Gorilla now, not white, tartan or pink. standing and looking proud. Just my opinion.
 
Just taking the opportunity to post this video clip that one of the members on the Facebook page has posted. The footage was shot by her father [Jerry Dutton].





BIRMINGHAM BULLRING AND KING KONG 1972:


Tabs wrote: "You might like this.. my dad used to do a lot of cine film of town and it's changes... He filmed Kong when we went and I'm in the pram... unfortunately dad passed away last year but I copied his film to Youtube and redid the music but see if you like it.. shows King Kong in his glory. .
My Dad was Jerry Dutton and had a huge involvement in local history, more so Castle Bromwich and surrounding areas. He was part of the North Arden Local History and him and Colin Green did a few books and he also was friends with Carl Chinn. Dad loved photography and cine so had loads of stuff ref Birmingham and local history..
 
You can see these King Kong's on Link Street Bullring (was the Bullring link bridge)






This was in Selfridges - don't know if it is still there or not.

 
Personally, I never liked the statue my self, in my opinion it was cheap and nasty and certainly not Art. I know many will disagree and I respect that, it certainly caught the eye I'll give you that. Eric
 
Eric

I don't think it was ever meant to be art as it is defined by the dictionary,

"The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture,
producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power"

Though I think it probably enjoyed by as many of the people of Birmingham and it's visitors as those who disliked it, especially the children who's parents always had to make a detour "to see the monkey" whenever in town no matter where they were headed. It's probably those children leading the campaign to get Mr Kong returned.
 
Back
Top