The Little Mermaid

[london1952]

As most of you will already know from Franco's (london1967) post that my birthday treat-trip was not to Bognor Regis, but to lovely Copenhagen !

The only thing that was missing (apart from the sun) was the world famous Little Mermaid, who it seems is on a holiday of her own in China !!



I didn't realise, but she has had quite a life so far....................

"The Little Mermaid has had a very turbulent life in Copenhagen. Over time she has been violated, vandalised and even beheaded. But she is a tough old lady. She has survived the many attacks and sits proudly on her stone at Langelinie Pier."

1909

Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen orders a statue erected in the honour of The Little Mermaid. Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen is commissioned to create it.
23 August 1913

Carl Jacobsen presents the statue to the City of Copenhagen. Every year on this day her birthday is celebrated.  
1 September 1961

Bra and knickers are painted on the statue, and her hair is dyed red.
28 April 1963

The Little Mermaid is covered in red paint.
24 April 1964

She is decapitated for the first time.
15 July 1976

The statue is covered in paint again.
22 July 1984

The statue's right arm is cut off.
5 August 1990

Another attempt to decapitate her is made.
6 January 1998

She is decapitated again.
11 September 2003

The Little Mermaid is removed from her stone and pushed into Copenhagen Harbour.
15 September 2006

The Little Mermaid gets a little sister, when Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard presents his post-modern interpretation of her: The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid, only a few hundred metres from The Little Mermaid. 
17 June 2008

A paint bomb is thrown at her, and she is covered with white paint.  
25 March - December 2010

Copenhagen sends The Little Mermaid on a journey to Shanghai for the World EXPO 2010. Meanwhile you will be able to see an original copy of her in Tivoli Gardens.