Peace Monuments Related to John Lennon & Yoko Ono

Click here for Wikipedia article about John Lennon [1940-1980].
Click here for Wikipedia article about Yoko Ono [b.1933].

Right click image to enlarge.

November 9, 1966 - 6 Mason’s Yard, London (England). Unintentional monument. Site of the former Indica Gallery, where John Lennon and Yoko Ono first met.

June 15, 1968 - Acorns for Peace, Unity Lawn, Coventry Cathedral, Coventry (England). "John Lennon and Yoko Ono visited Coventry Cathedral in 1968 to plant acorns as part of their Acorns For Peace tour (as mentioned in The Ballad of John and Yoko). The acorns were, sadly, stolen." "The couple's very first peace event and as part of the cathedral's sculptural exhibition. The acorns were planted on an east-west axis, symbolizing both John and Yoko's love and peace between east and west." Click here for more information.

March 25-31, 1969 - First "Bed-In," Presidential Suite (Room #702), Amsterdam Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam (Netherlands). "Knowing their March 20, 1969, marriage would be a huge press event, John and Yoko decided to use the publicity to promote world peace. They spent their honeymoon in the presidential suite for a week, inviting the world's press into their hotel room every day between 9 am and 9 pm." Lennon wrote "Give Peace a Chance" during this "Bed-In." When asked by a reporter what he was trying to achieve by staying in bed, Lennon had answered spontaneously "All we are saying is give peace a chance."

May 26-June 2, 1969 - Second "Bed-In," Rooms #1738 & #1742, Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Quebec (Canada). "During their seven day stay, they invited Timothy Leary, Tommy Smothers, Dick Gregory, and Al Capp, and all but Capp sang on the peace anthem "Give Peace a Chance" when recorded in the hotel room on June 1 (as shown in image)."

1969 - "Give Peace a Chance," a "single by (John Lennon's) Plastic Ono Band that became an anthem of the American anti-war movement at that time." Released with Yoko Ono's "Remember Love." Some times parodied as "Give Peas a Chance." Lyrics: Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism This-ism, that-ism, ism ism ism All we are saying is give peace a chance All we are saying is give peace a chance. / (C'mon) Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout Minister, Sinister, Banisters and Canisters, Bishops, Fishops, Rabbis, and Pop Eyes, Bye bye, Bye byes All we are saying is give peace a chance All we are saying is give peace a chance. / (Let me tell you now) Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout Revolution, Evolution, Masturbation, Flagellation, Regulation, Integrations, mediations, United Nations, congratulations All we are saying is give peace a chance All we are saying is give peace a chance. / Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary, Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper, Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer, Alan Ginsberg, Hare Krishna Hare Hare Krishna All we are saying is give peace a chance All we are saying is give peace a chance. (Footnote: The film Rosemary's Baby premiered in 1967 and became popular in 1968.

1971 - "Imagine." Single and opening track on "John Lennon's second solo album. Considered the most popular of his solo works." Evolved into the slogan "Imagine World Peace." Sometimes parodied as "Imagine Whirled Peas" [lower image]. Lyrics: Imagine there's no Heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today. / Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace. /You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one. / Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world. / You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one.

December 8, 1980 - South Entrance, The Dakota, 72nd Street & Central Park West , New York, New York (USA). Unintentional monument. Where Lennon was shot and killed at 10:50 pm by Mark David Chapman as he and Ono were returning home. She still has several apartments here and marks the anniversary with a now-public pilgrimage to the Strawberry Fields memorial (qv) directly across Central Park West from the building.

December 1980 - John Lennon Peace Wall, Diplomatic Quarter, Prague, Czech Republic. "Though Lennon never visited the Bohemian capitol, he was a pacifist hero for the Czech subculture during the totalitarian era. In the decade following the collapse of Communism, the Lennon Wall came to represent not only a memorial to Lennon and his ideas, but also a monument to free speech and the non-violent rebellion of Czech youth against the repressions of neo-Stalinism. Under the ever watchful eyes of the Communist secret police, an anonymous group of Prague youth set up a mock grave for the ex-Beatle."

1980's - "Peace Wall," near the Charles Bridge, Prague (Czech Republic). "Prague certainly got its fill of Lenin as it fell behind the iron curtain but it also showed a fondness for Lennon...John Lennon. This wall was used by dissidents to express Lennonism (vs Leninism) in graffiti. The graffiti started in the 1980's after the death of the former Beatle. Lennon was a pacifist hero for the Czechs who were living with a totalitarian government. Police would continually paint the wall, and dissidents would then sneak over at night & repaint the graffiti."

March 21, 1984 - John Lennon Memorial, Strawberry Fields, Central Park, New York City, New York (USA). Reproduction of a mosaic from Pompeii (gift from Naples, Italy) & 2.5-acre knoll dedicated by Yoko Ono on what would have been Lennon's 45th birthday. Entrance on Central Park West at West 72nd Street, directly across from The Dakota apartments, where Lennon lived for the latter part of his life and where he was murdered. "Designed by landscape architect Bruce Kelly..Yoko Ono contributed $500,000 to the establishment of the garden [of peace], as well as an equivalent amount for its ongoing maintenance. It has become the tranquil meeting point for fans the world over, many of whom sing Beatles and Lennon songs on summer afternoons."

October 9, 1985 - Plaque at John Lennon Memorial, Strawberry Fields, Central Park, New York City, New York (USA). Text: 'The restoration of this part of Central Park as a Garden of Peace, endorsed by the above [named 121] nations, was made possible through the generosity of Yoko Ono Lennon."

April 13, 1987 - Plaque in honor of John Lennon, at the Peace Fountain, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City, New York (USA). Text: "Some may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one." From the song "Imagine" by John Lennon

Date? - Kölner Friedenspark/Cologne Peace Park, Oberländer Wall, Neustadt-Süd, Köln/Cologne (Germany). "4.5 hectare park in the city are just something special. everything is already overgrown with climbing plants, perfect gepfelgte green spaces and 1,000 corners where you can chill out cozy. Ideal conditions for Kub Viking chess, badminton, Frisbee or bocce. [Google translation]" /// "In honor of John Lennon [1940-1980], who has worked as a pacifist, not only with his music for peace, was inaugurated in December 2012 in Cologne Peace Park on the Upper Wall of the countries paved in mosaic "Imagine Circle." On the occasion of Lennon's birthday be on 9 October, two commemorative plaques at the "Imagine Circle" attached [right image]. One is solely dedicated to John Lennon, the other is provided with the inscription of the song lyrics "Imagine." What should not be missed at such occasion, of course, the music of the Beatles and the 60's in general. [Google translation]"

1996 - "Wish Tree for Peace," Akasaka Hikawa Shrine, Japan (Japan). A ginkgo tree which is 400 years old and grows branches and leaves splendidly even now, although it has a huge hole in its trunk as a result of an air bombing during WW-II. "Wish Tree," a project to wish for peace, [has been] placed around this ginkgo tree. After the spectators write their wishes on white pieces of paper and tie them onto the branches, the messages will be sent to Yoko Ono and will be stored in the Peace Monument.

2000 - "Non-Violence" (Knotted Gun), Cavern Walks Shopping Centre, Mathew Street, Liverpool (England). Next door to the Cavern Club where the Beatles played in their early days. Unveiled by Dr. Michael Nobel, then head of the Nobel family society and chairman of the Non-Violence Foundation. Sculpted by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd. Supported by Yoko Ono in memory of John Lennon [1940-1980]. Click here for other examples of the same sculpture, including the orignal at the UN in New York City.

October 9, 2000 - John Lennon Museum, Saitama Super Arena (4th & 5th floors), 8 Saitama Shintoshin / Saitama New Urban Center, Chuo-ku, Saitama-city, Saitama Prefecture (Japan). "Opened on the 60th anniversary of John Lennon’s birth. Approved formally by Ms. Yoko Ono, it is the first museum of its kind anywhere in the world."

December 8, 2000 - Statue of John Lennon (Cuba). from the moving speech given by Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban Parliament, the day the statue was dedicated: "This place will always be a testimonial to struggle, a summoning to humanism. It will also be a permanent homage to a generation that wanted to transform the world, and to the rebellious spirit, innovative, of the artist who helped forge that generation and at the same time is one of its most authentic symbols... Our boat will continue sailing. Nothing will stop it. It is driven by "a wind that never dies." They will call us dreamers but our ranks will grow. We will defend the vanquished dream and struggle to make real all dreams. Neither storms nor pirates will hold us back. We will sail on until we reach the new world that we will know how to build."

July 25, 2002 - Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Liverpool (England). Renamed in 2002 in honour of John Lennon, a founding member of the Liverpudlian group the Beatles, twenty-two years after Lennon's death. A 7 ft (2.1 m) tall bronze statue of the local icon stands overlooking the check-in hall. On the roof is painted the airport's motto, a line from Lennon's song "Imagine:" "Above us, only sky." In 2005 the Yellow Submarine, a large-scale work of art, was installed on a traffic island at the entrance to the airport.

2004 - John Lennon Center for Music & Technology, Five Towns College, Dix Hills, Long Island, New York (USA). Dedicated by Yoko Ono in 2005. Left image courtesy of executive director Sanford Hinden. Right image shows chairman Martin Cohen.

May 2006 - The "Give Peace a Chance" Hotel Room (Suite 1742), Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Quebec (Canada). "John Lennon and Yoko Ono placed Suite 1742 in the international spotlight during their Bed-In in May 1969. The highlight of the world's most famous bed-in was John Lennon's composition of the song Give Peace A Chance which he wrote and recorded in the suite. To commemorate the 37th anniversary, the hotel is offering the Give Peace a Chance package."

2006-2007 - John Lennon - Peace Altar, Vienna (Austria). Oil on wood, 100 x 261cm, by Werner Horvath.

T R E E

April 2, 2007 -"Wish Tree for Washington, DC,", Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (USA). "A public art work by Yoko Ono. Installed during the 2007 National Cherry Blossom Festival as part of her 'Imagine Peace' project. Paper is provided for the visitor to tie a wish to the tree. The work builds on the Japanese tradition of tying prayers to trees. Returning the paper back to its source evokes an offering."

T R E E

July 2010 - "Wish Tree," Sculpture Garden, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), New York City, New York (USA). "Has become very popular with contributions from all over the world."

P L A Q U E

June 10, 2007 - Voice of Peace Memorial, Gordon Beach (below the Renaissance Hotel), Tel Aviv (Israel). Plaque with a speaker that plays segments of broadcasts by Abie Nathan [1927-2008] from the private floating radio station "MV Peace" which was anchored 3 miles off the coast of Tel-Aviv. Inscription: "The Voice of Peace - 1993-1973. 5 km off this shore Abie Nathan's peace ship was anchored broadcasting messages of peace, love and understanding." "On October 1, 1993, the mayor of Tel Aviv, Shlomo Lahat, went out to the ship and took part in the [last] broadcast at 13:00, he stated he would promise an anchorage for the MV Peace in Tel Aviv harbour and the ship would be rebuilt as a peace museum. The station closed with Pete Seeger's 'We shall Overcome' instead of the usual station theme... On November 28, the MV Peace set sail on her final voyage, 15 miles off the Israeli coast. The hull plugs were removed and the pumps switched on, to pump water into the ship. At 19:33 the ship sank... Now the plaque and speaker are all that remain from the Voice of Peace." John Lennon & Yoko Ono supported this station.

October 9, 2007 - Lennon "Imagine Peace" Tower, Videy Island, Reykjavik (Iceland). Dedicated by Yoko Ono on John Lennon’s 67th birthday. John Lennon (1980): "If you can imagine a world of peace. If you can imagine the possibility. Then it can be true." Click here for Wikipedia article. Click here for YouTube video.

2009 - "Give Peace a Chance," Mount Royal Park, Montreal, Quebec (Canada). St. Marc limestone 100 x 1700 x 600 cm / 3 ft. 3 in. x 56 ft. x 19 ft. 8 in. By Montreal artist Linda Covit. Commissioned by the City of Montreal. "The mountain is an important Montreal heritage site in the heart of the city, the layout originally conceived by Frederick Law Olmsted. The artistic intervention commemorates the 1969 John Lennon-Yoko Ono bed-in here. The crescent-shaped installation nestles one of the hairpin turns in the Serpentine, a winding path up the mountain's southern flank. The phrase 'give peace a chance' from the song written during that event, is translated into 40 languages spoken here, written in relief on stone slabs. Rough stone blocks mark the installation entranceway, provide seating & reference the stone of the mountain. Moss & ferns complete the work."

May 14, 2010 - Mural, "The New Picket," Liverpool (England). "On my arty travels last night, I came across The Picket which I knew had moved, but not to just off Jamaica Street. I went back today to take a photograph of this marvellous & detailed mural. Painted by Belfast Loyalist Mark Ervine & Republican artist Danny Devenny with the help of local community groups. Characters on the mural include Kitty Wilkinson [1786-1860], champion of the poor who set up wash houses for all in the city, & Irish born Agnes Jones [1832-1868], who made an outstanding contribution to nursing, becoming the first trained Nursing Superintendent at Liverpool's Workhouse Infirmary. Her work for the sick paupers was enormous, but took its toll as she died at the age of just 35 from typhus fever. The mural is a true work of art, which many probably missed last night. I didn't go in but I hope the atmosphere is still the same as the old Picket which was always a welcoming place to debate your politics without fear of recrimination. Long live the Picket." /// "2011 marks 25 years since Pete Townshend officially opened the recording studio at the Merseyside Unemployed Resource Centre, which would later become known as the Picket. The legendary Liverpool venue has been supported by a string of some of Britain’s most famous musicians from Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney & Yoko Ono to Paul Weller, Peter Gabriel & Suggs from Madness."

October 9, 2010 - John Lennon Peace Monument, Chavesse Park, Liverpool (England). Also call "European Peace Monument & "Peace & Harmony." "18-foot monument by by 19-year-old American artist Lauren Voiers. Unveiled by Lennon’s son Julian as part of Liverpool's two-month season of events commemorating the former Beatle’s 70th birthday and 30th anniversary of his murder. Second of a series of monuments commissioned by California-based organisation Global Peace Initiative. (The first monument was by Romanian artist Alexandra Nechita and was presented to Singapore on behalf of the people of Asia in 2005.) Presented to The Beatles Story, which came up with the idea of a landmark in Liverpool..." Video

Future - "John Lennon Wih Peace Symbol," Central Park, New York City, New York (USA). "Attorney Michael Santo and artist Laura Lian have joined forces from opposite sides of the Pond to come together in an attempt to give peace a three dimensional 'voice' in Central Park. There are bronze statues of John Lennon in Peru, Spain & Cuba, but no such statue exists in New York, the city John Lennon moved to after The Beatles disbanded..." Santo believes that if there is a public call for the project, then there's a chance Ono 'would endorse the piece.'"

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