Object of the Month: August 2025

Chosen by Corinne Lambert, sculptor

Sculpture(2024), metal, wood

Donated by FindMypast

In partnership with the Elizabeth Heyrick Society

Made by the artist Corinne Lambert, a member of the Leicester Society of Artists, to commemorate Elizabeth Heyrick and her fight for the immediate abolition of slavery. Heyrick was an English philanthropist and campaigner against the slave trade and supported immediate, rather than gradual, abolition.

This female figure, in a dynamic pose, represents the determination of Heyrick, and the determination of the enslaved people to be free.

The colours of the sculpture convey the red-orange earth, green landscapes, blue sea and hot sun of West Africa, from where many people were taken and sold into slavery. The intermingling red colours represent the suffering of these people.

The Object of the Month can be seen in person throughout August at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.