Theodore Roosevelt Statue at the American Museum of Natural History in New York

On 21 June 2021 plans were confirmed for the removal of the statue of Theodore Roosevelt, which had been standing outside the American Museum of Natural History since 1939. The eventual decision to remove the statue came after years of debate, protests and multiple instances of vandalism. The decision also came after the Museum’s own attempt to contextualise and discuss the statue in an interactive exhibition. This case study looks at the response of the Museum and the City of New York to the controversy, and the challenges faced in making a decision about a high profile monument, especially within the current American political context.