Two Forms (Divided Circle) with view of cyclist through on of the circles
Two Forms (Divided Circle), Barbara Hepworth, 1969, Dulwich Park, London © Diamond Geezer Flickr
Two Forms (Divided Circle), Barbara Hepworth, 1969, Dulwich Park, London © Diamond Geezer Flickr

Help Find Our Missing Art

Our post-war public art is under threat. We need your help to protect it.

Artworks created by some of the most acclaimed artists of the 20th century, from Henry Moore to Barbara Hepworth, have already been destroyed. Created and sited in the open for all of us to enjoy; these pieces were made for our public spaces, our schools, hospitals, housing estates, civic areas and communities. They were commissioned and designed with a social spirit to add colour to our local places and our daily lives.

Such sculptures, murals and architectural reliefs are disappearing for many reasons, and for some pieces, it is already too late. Stolen and melted down for their scrap value; neglected and vandalised beyond repair; sold and moved from their intended public spaces; destroyed by redevelopment, or just forgotten - location unknown. The nation's great outdoor collection of public art is in jeopardy.

Can you help?

Although much has already been lost there is still time to save many of England's unique treasures.

We are putting together a list to catalogue what's left but we can't do it alone. We need your photographs, memories and stories about any works of outdoor art from the post war period, 1945-1985, which are thought to be missing.

This will help us complete the picture of what's still out there, and raise awareness of what we are at risk of losing forever.

Our galleries below feature pieces that we think have been lost, stolen, sold or destroyed. Do you know the fates of those that are thought to be missing? Do you know what happened to any other works of public art not featured here?

With your help, we can track down the forgotten riches of our national outdoor art collection, before they disappear for good.

Please send us your pictures and any information by emailing [email protected] or calling 0207 973 3295.

Lost Public Art

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Destroyed Public Art

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Stolen or Sold Public Art

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