What is the famous statue in Sarasota? (2024)

What is the famous statue in Sarasota?

The statue titled "Unconditional Surrender," which many often call the "Kissing Statue," is currently located at the Bayfront Park in downtown Sarasota. The 26-foot-tall statue is part of a series of computer-generated statues created by sculptor Seward Johnson.

What is the story behind the statue in Sarasota?

One of the most photographed statues in Florida, if not America, is a 26-foot tall statue that calls Sarasota home. It commemorates the famous photo that appeared in LIFE magazine of a young U.S. sailor dipping and kissing a nurse in Times Square on the day World War II ended.

Why did they take down the kissing statue in Sarasota?

The sculpture resembles a famous 1945 photograph of Victory over Japan Day in Times Square. Sarasota commissioners voted 4-1 to move the statue back in November. The decision was made in order to make room for a roundabout on U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue.

What is the story behind the kissing statue?

Visit the Unconditional Surrender AKA “The Kissing Statue” along the downtown waterfront, next to the USS Midway. The 25-foot installation recreates the famous embrace between a sailor and a nurse celebrating the end of World War II in New York's Times Square in 1945.

What is the kissing sailor statue controversy?

In October 2014, French feminist group Osez La Feminisme petitioned to have the statue removed and sent back to the United States, stating, "the sailor could have laughed with these women, embraced them, asked if he could kiss them with joy. No, he chose to grab them, with clenched fists, to kiss them.

Is the kissing statue still in Sarasota Florida?

The statue titled "Unconditional Surrender," which many often call the "Kissing Statue," is currently located at the Bayfront Park in downtown Sarasota. The 26-foot-tall statue is part of a series of computer-generated statues created by sculptor Seward Johnson.

Was a body found in the water in Sarasota?

Authorities say there were no signs of trauma on the man's body and no evidence that may suggest a crime was committed. SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — An investigation is ongoing after a body was found at a pond Sunday morning in a park in Sarasota, deputies said.

What happened to the sailor and nurse statue in Sarasota?

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – “Unconditional Surrender,” the huge statue of a sailor kissing a nurse in downtown Sarasota has been moved to a new location nearby, city officials announced Thursday.

What is the statue of the soldier in Sarasota?

The sculpture is a 25 feet tall, 3-D piece of art based on the iconic “V-J Day in Times Square” photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt. It portrays a Navy sailor embracing and kissing a stranger in the middle of the street after hearing Japan finally surrendered unconditionally in the war.

How many kissing statues are there?

Today, there are multiple statues, such as in Normandy, France, San Diego, California, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Hamilton, New Jersey, and the original in Sarasota, Florida.

What does the kiss of death statue mean?

The base of the tombstone features a verse from Jacint Verdauger, a prominent Catalan poet. The verse expresses the idea that the person's youthful heart can no longer continue, their blood slows and freezes, their spirit embraces lost faith, and they feel the kiss of death as they fall.

What is the story of the kiss of death?

The exact origin is unknown, but an Italian source identifies the bacio della morte as the kiss given to the assassin delegated to "execute" a death sentence, as if to seal the solemn judgment and to wish success on the assignment.

Where is the ww2 kissing statue?

The 25-foot installation – known as “Embracing Peace” – is one of the most recognizable ornaments of the San Diego bayfront, placed right next to the USS Midway. Hundreds of people visit the spot every day — many stopping by just to snap a picture recreating in the pose.

What does the sailor kissing mean?

Most have seen the iconic photo of a sailor jubilantly kissing a woman in Times Square on August 14, 1945. The kiss came after news of Japan's surrender, effectively ending World War II. It's a celebrated photo, but the woman who was kissed says she didn't have much say in the matter.

Why was kissing sailor picture taken?

After news broke that Japan had surrendered and World War II was over on August 15, 1945, photographer Alfred Aisenstaedt took a picture of a sailor jubilantly kissing a woman in Times Square. The photograph was published a week after Victory over Japan Day, and was given a full-page spread in LIFE magazine.

Where did the famous sailor kiss happen?

V-J Day in Times Square is a photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt that portrays a U.S. Navy sailor embracing and kissing a total stranger—a dental assistant—on Victory over Japan Day ("V-J Day") in New York City's Times Square on August 14, 1945.

What celebrities live in the bird key Sarasota?

The island was once the home of circus magnate, John Ringling's nephew, John Ringling North. Today, it is the home of several celebrities including tennis pro, Martina Navratilova, Jerry Springer and AC/DC lead vocalist, Brian Johnson.

Did they move the sailor statue in Sarasota?

A statue commemorating the end of World War II will stay along Sarasota's Bayfront — but in a new location. City commissioners voted 4 to 1 Monday to move the statue, Unconditional Surrender, away from planned road reconstruction to a park along Sarasota Bay.

What is the oldest house in Sarasota?

We have them laid as the walkway into the 1882 Bidwell-Wood House, Sarasota County's oldest surviving residence, for a lasting memorial.

How deep is the water in Sarasota Florida?

Sarasota Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway are notoriously shallow. Throughout most of the area, water depths range between 7 – 12 feet.

How deep is the water in Sarasota Bay?

The bay is considered a coastal lagoon, and features a series of smaller embayments including Palma Sola Bay, Roberts Bay, Little Sarasota Bay and Blackburn Bay. While the average depth of Sarasota Bay is 6.5 feet, it varies widely in different places and is always changing.

What happened to the bodies in the water?

Due to the fact that seas and oceans typically lower the temperature of the human body, bacterial growth slows, resulting in a slower decomposition process. However, once removed from water, a body can decompose more quickly in comparison to bodies that are submerged.

Did the sailor know the nurse he kissed?

Greta stepped into the swirling crowd and was kissed. George never knew she wasn't a nurse. He also never knew her traumatic past. She was a Jewish immigrant from Vienna, having fled Nazi persecution in 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II.

How tall is the Unconditional Surrender statue in Sarasota?

Aluminum, 25 feet tall. Originally displayed in Sarasota in 2005 as a temporary exhibit.

What is the VJ Day kissing statue in Sarasota?

It's called "V-J Day in Times Square," but is known to most as "The Kiss." The "Unconditional Surrender" statue in Sarasota was the first of several statues installed worldwide by sculptor Seward Johnson using an image of a lesser-known photographer, Victor Jorgensen.