Two coloured photographs of a statue of Sir Seretse Khama (1921-1980). In 1984 the library was approached by Franta Belsky (born 1921), the sculptor, who was endeavouring to produce a model for a statue of Sir Seretse Khama, but was unable to obtain a profile photograph. The library was able to lend him a photograph taken during the 1977 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, which he described as 'invaluable.' He gave these photographs of his model to the library in July 1985, and the finished statue is now located in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana. Presumably Belsky took these photographs himself.
Seretse Khama statue
This material is held atRoyal Commonwealth Society Library
- Reference
- GB 115 RCS/Y30549D
- Dates of Creation
- 1984-1985
- Name of Creator
- Language of Material
- English .
- Physical Description
- 2 item(s) 2 images
Scope and Content
Administrative / Biographical History
Franta Belsky was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1921, the son of the economist Joseph Belsky. With his family, he fled to England after the German invasion, and volunteered for the Czech Exile Army. He fought in France as a gunner and was twice mentioned in dispatches. Upon returning to Prague after the war Belsky found that many of his relations had perished in the Holocaust. He designed a Paratroop memorial, and a medal in honour of Emil Zatopek, before fleeing again to escape the Communist takeover on 1948. Belsky's work includes not only traditional statues and busts, but also large-scale more abstract works. He produced a number of statues of Winston Churchill, one in Fulton, Missouri. In 1944 he married Margaret Owen and, after her death, Irena Sedlecka in 1996. He sculpted two busts of President Truman before dying in 1972.
Access Information
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Other Finding Aids
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Additional Information
This collection level description was entered by WS using information from the original typescript catalogue.
Belsky, Franta, 1921-2000, Sculptor