Status: Removed to Dorman Museum
We’ve already written about Peter Mountain’s Gorilla Alcove in Middlesbrough, and now we move onto its companion piece, which has a no less storied history.
Mountain was Artist in Residence at St. Hilda’s in 1986/87, making artworks for the community (a plaque still hangs on the wall of the old Town Hall commemorating this). One of the artworks produced was an aluminium gorilla, which was placed on a plinth outside the train station. Ultimately, the gorilla was completed after Mountain’s residency finished, in collaboration with Middlesbrough Art College and a local foundry.
However, after installation the poor gorilla was stolen from the plinth, apparently being later found in a pond (as relayed to us by Mountain via email). There is a bit of confusion about this event: we’re unsure as to whether it was this gorilla that was found in a pond or the other one.
Regardless, the statue seems to have been popular with locals. In an interview with The Evening Gazette, DC Ray Savage of Middlesbrough CID notes, apropos of nothing, that “The local ladies of the night used to apply their make-up on it”.
What is certain is that it was stolen (again) in 1993, and was missing for over a year before being found in a house search in August 1994 (“We were looking for other things at the time” notes DC Mick Foster). Lipstick traces were still visible when the ape was found.
(Evening Gazette. Tuesday August 9th, 1994. Photo by James Ashford. Courtesy of Simon McKeown)
Eventually, to prevent further thefts and give the ape a dignified retirement, the sculpture was taken off the streets. It was first given to St. Hilda’s Partnership, where it was displayed in the Custom House, and later acquired by Dorman Museum on Linthorpe Road, where it can still be seen today.
Thank you to Peter Mountain, Mandy Durham, Christine Corbett and Ian Stubbs for their help with this article.
North East Statues 