The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
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Building Workers Demonstration
Thirty pounds for a thirty five hour week is their demand and the building workers of Birmingham have an unusual ally in their strike protest.
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Overview
Standing in Manzoni Gardens in the shadow of Birmingham's already iconic Rotunda building, the statue of King Kong was a short lived piece of public art that played an important role in one of the major industrial disputes of the era. Narrowly avoiding arrest (having been dragged down from their lofty perch) two building workers climbed Kong to highlight their struggle for more pay. Amused bystanders and some less than amused police officers completed the scene.
The King Kong statue designed by Nicholas Munro was erected in Birmingham in May 1972. In September of the same year it was sold to a Birmingham second hand car dealer who used it for publicity purposes.
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