St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda
Born in St. John’s in 1910, Vere Cornwall Bird was Antigua and Barbuda’s first prime minister. He held this position from 1981 to 1994, during which he led the nation to independence from British colonial rule.
Many people view Bird as the country’s founding father; his presence can be seen throughout Antigua (even the airport was renamed in his honour). But none are as eye-catching or significant as the VC Bird Monument.
In downtown St. John’s, there is a brightly coloured bust of VC Bird located next to the public market. It was designed and sculpted by Cuban artist Andres Gonzalez and installed in 2002, three years after Bird’s passing. The statue is 10 meters (33 feet) tall and depicts a besuited middle-aged Bird, who is 2.1 meters (seven feet) tall, with his hand on his chest. Next to him is a black pineapple, a local delicacy unique to the island.
It can be challenging to get a good view of the monument up close because it is located in a small triangular area at the busy intersection of two roads. Unfortunately, the plaza is not open to the public, but seeing the monument well through the railings is still possible.
