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Statue of Peter Pan
“Everytime a child says ‘I don’t believe in fairies’ there is a a little fairy somewhere that falls down dead..”
James Matthew Barrie
A true hymn to the will not to grow up and to remain an eternal child, Peter Pan by James Matthew Barrie is one of the greatest novels of world literature.
James Matthew Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies children
In 1897, James Matthew Barrie met the Llewelyn Davies children in Kensington Park. He imagines for George, Jack, Michael and Peter, the adventures of Peter Pan. He also became friends with their parents, Sylvia and Arthur.
In 1902, he wrote The Little White Bird in which his famous character appeared for the first time. He then turned it into the play Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. The play was staged on December 27, 1904 in London.
He wrote a novel version seven years later, under the title Peter and Wendy. When Arthur Llewelyn Davies died in 1907, he helped the rest of the family financially, especially with the income generated by the play.
The Peter Pan statue in Kensington Garden
The Kensington Gardens in London are inseparable from James Matthew Barrie and Peter Pan. The author receives the key to the Lancaster gate of the park from the Duke of Cambridge, a great fan of the Little White Bird.
In addition to the important meeting of the Llewelyn Davies family that marked his life, it is also in these gardens that a statue of Peter Pan playing the flute is erected.
In 1912, for the first time, a character by a living author was sculpted. This work by George Frampton was commissioned by the novelist in the greatest of secrecy. Along the Serpentine, the waterway of the park, is installed the statue in the night of April 30. J. M. Barrie wanted the children to think that fairies had magically placed it there.
Statues and royalties
George Frampton has reproduced seven statues of Peter Pan that can be found in Brussels, Camden, Perth, Liverpool and Toronto.
Adapted many times to the theater, musicals and movies, including the beautiful version of Walt Disney in 1953 or Hook by Steven Spielberg with Robin Williams, Peter Pan is a timeless work. The novel also put forward a precept in psychology; the Peter Pan syndrome, to refer to the anguish associated with the idea of becoming an adult.
James Matthew Barrie has made the welfare of children his primary concern. Thus, in 1929, the writer decided to donate all the royalties from his play to the Hospital for Sick Children in Great Ormond Street in London. When he died in 1937, with no descendants, the royalties continued to fall into the establishment’s coffers.
In 1990, the comic book author Régis Loisel published the novel in six volumes under the title Peter Pan.
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Gardens is a public park in London.
Opened in 1689, these gardens were previously private. The king and queen, William III and Mary II created a park in Kensington Palace.
The gardens, now public, cover 110 hectares. They are home to the Prince Albert Memorial, the Serpentine Gallery, the Orangery, the Diana Memorial Playground, Queen Caroline’s Temple and many statues, including that of Peter Pan sculpted by George Frampton in 1912.
The Fantrippers Buying Board
Map of 100 cult places in PARIS (French Edition)
The Paris Fantrippers map, an original way to discover the French capital! Through 100 pop culture places, walk through its streets from another angle. Movies, TV shows, music, comics and novels, will allow you to spend a pleasant moment in the World City. With a folded format of 10 x 18 cm and an unfolded format of 60 x 54 cm, it slips easily into your pocket or bag for easy reference.
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Discover all the places Peter Pan on our map
By Damien Canteau
Passionné par l'Histoire, les animés, les Arts et la bande dessinée en particulier, Damien est le rédacteur en chef du site spécialisé dans le 9e art, Comixtrip.