MARK McLAUGHLIN
Evening News (Edinburgh)
August 24, 2010, Tuesday
DURING his life he would have been used to wading through the droppings of many a strange creature in the jungles of Africa, but his effigy has since come under attack from some less exotic mess.
Now a century of bird droppings is set to be cleaned from the famous statue of the explorer David Livingstone in the Capital.
The bronze statue, which stands near the Scott Monument in Princes Street Gardens, needs essential conservation work to prevent corrosion.
It will be scrubbed and gently cleaned to remove all the accumulated grime, particularly algae and bird droppings, which are acidic, before a specialist treatment is applied to stabilise any corrosion.
The bronze will then be re-patinated and a new layer of wax applied to protect it.
City centre councillor Charles Dundas said: "The work is being done as part of the city-wide 12 monuments scheme, which also includes the refurbishment of the Burns Monument, the Grassmarket Well, Nelson's Monument and the Time Ball.
"This is probably one of the easier stages of the project but no less important because they're probably some of the most photographed statues in the city.
"I think it's good that Livingstone is getting a clean-up as he's such an important figure in Scotland, with a legacy that continues to this day."
Two other statues, featuring the liberal politician and reformer Adam Black and writer and philosopher Professor John Wilson, will also be cleaned in the GBP16,550 project, which is funded by Edinburgh World Heritage, Edinburgh City Council and a donation from the Mount Royal Hotel on Princes Street.
The work will be carried out in part by volunteers and out-of-work youths under the Future Jobs Fund.
Livingstone was born in Blantyre, Lanarkshire in 1813. In 1841 he went to South Africa as a missionary doctor, and became an explorer, journeying to Lake Ngami, the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls.
Upon his return in 1856 he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society for his discoveries.
He returned to Africa in 1858 and discovered Lake Nyasa. He died of malaria and internal bleeding due to dysentery in 1873, in Zambia, while searching for the source of the Nile.
Livingstone was one of the most popular national heroes of the late 19th century. He famously "disappeared" at one point, and his subsequent meeting with HM Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr Livingstone, I presume?"
His statue was created by the sculptor Amelia Paton Hill, one of the few women sculptors in 19th century Edinburgh.
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