London museum acquires Trump baby blimp
January 19, 2021
A large, helium-filled balloon depicting outgoing US President Donald Trump as an orange baby will be conserved at one of London's most popular museums.
"By collecting the baby blimp, we can mark the wave of feeling that washed over the city that day and capture a particular moment of resistance,'' Museum of London director Sharon Ament said Monday.
The blimp shows a nappy-wearing Trump with a sour expression. It was first spotted in the skies over the UK capital in 2018 when protesters took to the streets of London ahead of the US president’s impending visit.
It has since flown over multiple locations in countries like France Argentina, Ireland and Denmark.
"Having toured the world, the Trump Baby blimp is now heading to its final resting place, the Museum of London, where it will be conserved and potentially displayed in the museum's future new home," the Museum of London said in a statement.
The balloon will be a part of the museum's protest collection, which boasts of artifacts from the women's suffrage movement, protests against the war in Iraq in the early 2000s, as well as climate change rallies.
The creators of the blimp, which was originally paid for through crowdfunding, said it would serve as a reminder of the fight against the "politics of hate."
"We hope the baby’s place in the museum will stand as a reminder of when London stood against Trump — but will prompt those who see it to examine how they can continue the fight."
The announcement comes a day before the end of Trump’s term as the US president.
see/rt (Reuters, AP, dpa)