Wales now has a second statue of a woman and it's absolutely lovely (original) (raw)
The best pictures from the unveiling of a statue honouring the inspiring Welsh writer and feminist icon Elaine Morgan
Elaine Morgan was a feminist icon, an evolutionary theorist, and a writer of books, TV programmes and newspaper columns
Statue to honour writer and evolutionary theorist Elaine Morgan unveiled at the Meddygfa Glan Cynon Surgery in Mountain Ash. (Image: John Myers)
A statute to a pioneering and forward thinking Valleys woman has been unveiled in Mountain Ash.
The bronze statue of Elaine Morgan unveiled on Friday, March 18, by a group called Monumental Welsh Women who wanted to honour some of Wales' most influential women and rectify the fact that Wales had no statues of women until their first, of legendary headteacher Betty Campbell was unveiled in Cardiff.
Elaine Morgan, who wrote a weekly column for the Western Mail for may years, was born in Hopkinstown, Pontypridd, and went on to win a scholarship to Oxford University, become a teacher, raise three sons and forge a career writing plays for film and television. Her most famous was the six-part television adaptation of Richard Llewellyn's novel How Green Was My Valley.
She also challenged theories of human evolution in her 1972 book The Descent of Woman which led to her becoming a feminist icon celebrated as playing a role in the women's liberation movement. It was translated into 25 languages. She kept writing and in her 90s remained a well-loved weekly columnist for the Western Mail.
The statute was sculpted by Emma Rodgers, whose most notable works include Liverpool’s statue of Cilla Black, and was unveiled outside a doctor's surgery. See our profile of Elaine Morgan here. And follow our live coverage of the unveiling of the statue here.
The statute took almost two years of planning from sculptor Emma Rodgers.
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2. ### Elaine Morgan was the second women to be honoured by Monumental Welsh Women.
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3. ### Elaine contributed work to several fields, she was a pioneering author, feminist icon and evolutionary theorist.
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4. ### Her most notable work, carved in to bronze The Descent of Woman which challenged the chauvinistic interpretation of human evolution.
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5. ### Elaine Morgan's proud family, her son Gareth Morgan said: "You've heard so much about my mother today, so many people have told you far more than you ever wanted to know, what she did and what she achieved and what people thought of her. But I'd just like to say that she was a fabulous mum, a wonderful mum."
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Sculptor Emma Rodgers had a real job on her hands to incorporate the extraordinary works and life of Elaine Morgan in to one piece.
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2. ### Emma described Elaine as "an incredible strong, intelligent, kind woman - a force of nature" and a "true trailblazer."
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3. ### Sculptor Emma Rodgers pictured with the statute that she has worked on for over two years.
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4. ### From the humblest of beginnings in Hopkinstown, Elaine changed the world of feminism but never abandoned her Valleys roots.
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Elaine was a proud valleys woman. Colleague and friend Carolyn Hitt said that Elaine once said: "Those of us with similar backgrounds have been told by the ignorant and patronising that being a Valley girl can hold us back, but Elaine said her roots were precisely the reason she succeeded and she never left them behind.
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2. ### The statue was unveiled in Mountain Ash where she had spent most of her adult life by her two sons.
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3. ### Elaine's granddaughter Tan pictures with the statue of her grandmother.
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4. ### Crowds gathered outside the surgery in Mountain Ash to commemorate the much loved Valleys woman.
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Elaine can be seen at her desk with writings, shells, animals, and roots, in reference to her careers. Here's a closer look at some of the details...
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2. ### Welsh journalist and broadcaster Felicity Evans told the crowd that Monumental Welsh Women was formed to "show girls across Wales visible proof of the achievements of the women who went before them and show them that they too can make history, however and wherever they want."
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3. ### Schoolchildren from Caegarw Primary School choir sang beautiful renditions of 'Calon Lan' and 'Made in Wales' to crowds at the unveiling, with MS Jane Hutt addressing the crowd.
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4. 
A portrait of Elaine Morgan
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