Alfred Russel Wallace (1823- 1913) lived in Hertford from 1828 to 1836 and was recently described by Professor SteveJones as “The man who pre-empted Darwin”.
To commemorate his work and a Hertford resident, we commissioned the Wallace memorial which can be seen on a wall of Hertford Theatre.
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) is the man believed to have ‘discovered’ evolution alongside Charles Darwin grew up and was educated in Hertford. He returned to Hertford following the celebration of the centenary of his death through an exciting sculpture on the exterior wall of Hertford Theatre. Hertford civic society initiated the competitive process for selecting a sculptor in 2012 and held a public consultation in August 2013, after gaining financial support from EastHerts Council and Hertford Town Council. It was good to have collaborated with East Herts Council, which owns the Theatre, and provided practical help in finding the ideal site in Hertford.
The unveiling took place on 18th October 2013 in a public event attended by both the sculptor, Rodney Munday and Dr George Beccaloni of the Natural History Museum In London, the world’s greatest authority on Wallace. The local school, Richard Hale, was attended, coincidentally, by both Wallace and Munday and could have perhaps inspired the sculpture. Richard Hale provided musical accompaniment to the unveiling.
