Those of us who spend our lives in schools are used to decorating for every "holiday" including Presidents' Day, Groundhog's Day,.... St. Patrick's Day (even if we are not Irish).
My neighbors take that decorating spin to a new level with a small statue in their front yard, affectionately referred to by my grandchildren as the Statue Boy.
I must admit I look forward to his changing costumes, especially his Yankee (baseball) and Leprechaun attire; yet, there was a part of me thinking that I remembered there was some unsavory history behind such lawn art? So I did a bit of research. Yes, I Googled "jockey lawn art."
There are several different stories behind the "lawn jockey", including a version that George Washington commissioned a statue of Jocko, The Faithful Groomsmen, to represent an African-American boy, too young to fight, who froze to death holding a lantern during the Revolutionary War.
There is also a theory that lawn jockeys played a role in the Underground Railroad marking dangerous and safe houses along the journey north. Different lanterns tied to the arm would signal if a route was safe or not.
In Saratoga Springs, NY, lawn jockeys are part of the local horse racing culture, wearing the bright colors of favorite jockeys in a long tradition of summer horse racing. At one time, many jockeys were African American; yet the "lawn jockey" is an image that transcends racial identity as jockeys today are of diverse heritage.
So, after just a brief Google search, I am thinking that "lawn jockeys" are historical "relics" with an unclear but not unsavory past!
Yet, if you have something to add to this story, please let me know and I will add!
I'm participating in the SOL March Writing Challenge.
I'm planning to write a little slice of my life each day in March.
2 comments:
Now I’m fascinated about the lawn jockey history, especially the information about the Underground Railroad. I bet you can find more in journals about material culture.
I know so little about the Lawn Jockey and you've intrigued me. This reminds me that when you are curious about something, it's worth researching and writing about!
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