The Famous Five

Bronze girl power! The Famous Five is an art installation that you walk through oversized metal versions of Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir Edwards as they tea party and talk about an important change to legislation that states «Women are persons.» I like public art that can be experienced and I think The Famous Five does a good job of immersing passerbys in this important piece of Canadian history. You can walk around and through the piece to look at it from different angles and there’s even an open chair under Emily Murphy’s arm so you can hop up on the bronze chair and be a part of the action.
It’s a nice, artistic addition to Olympic Plaza, and an appropriate sculpture to have across the street from City Hall.

HOLY SWEET MERCIFUL JEZEBEL! There’s nothing I love more in this world than some bronzed babes who fought for the rights of women across the country. These fly honies busted their cabooses so that mysogynistic sexists would stop deameanin’ on ‘em. As thanks, Calgary dipped ‘em in metal so ya’ll could get your photo taken with that firestarter Nellie McClung.
They gave foxy minx’s everywhere the right to slap down a check mark on that ballot. Shiiiiiiiiiet son, it’s enough to make a grown man’s head spin. These sugarplums had some real up-​and-​at-​em’. I mean seriously, classy broads over here, what I wouldn’t give for just 5 minutes alone with each one of these dames… so I could pick their brains and tell them how much I respect them.

These 5 ladies sit in Olympic Plaza, just to the east of Teatro. For me, they’re a great reminder of some of the great women that stand behind us. Names like Emily Murphy and Nellie McClung haunt me from my elementary school days… it was refreshing to find a reminder of them here in Calgary.
Like many of the other statues in downtown Calgary, you could pose with any one of the famous five… just make sure you stop and read the plaques describing the contribution of each of the characters as well.
Unilocal’s 30 Day Challenge: ²⁴⁄₃₀

Situated in the SW corner of Olympic Plaza is a large work of art that is an ode to women’s right in Canada. In 1927, Canada’s famous five women Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Edwards, Irene Parlby and Nellie McClung challenged the courts interpretation of the British North America Act that did not recognize women as persons and thus they could not serve in the senate. The size of the piece is meant to represent the size of the moment. Indeed this is huge, perhaps not large enough.
I like walking up to this piece one a week during lunch. It’s a reminder that sometimes what you achieve you might never see.
None of the famous five became senators until October 8, 2009 when the senate voted to make the five the first «honorary senators.»
¹⁸⁄₃₀ Unilocal 30 Day Challenge