Thirty years ago, giant statues of Michael Jackson appeared at landmarks around the world to promote his album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The 32-foot-tall fiberglass titans were a surreal sight, particularly the one floated on a barge down the River Thames in London in June 1995. These statues were more than just promotional material; they represented the King of Pop’s global impact and enduring legacy.
The statues were created by artist Stephen Pyle, who worked with sculptor Derek Howarth to craft the statues in polystyrene sections. These sections were then used to make molds and fiberglass casts, which were assembled and painted at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire to resemble stone.
Pyle reflected on the challenge of creating 10 statues in just four months, saying, “Making 10 statues in four months was quite the challenge, but thanks to Derek, Chris, Liz, and the rest of my workshop team at the time, we became quite the efficient factory for Michael Jackson monoliths!”
Some of these statues have found permanent homes in unexpected places.
Statue Locations
A McDonald’s in the Netherlands: One statue stood for decades at a McDonald’s restaurant in Best, Netherlands, before being taken down in 2019 due to controversy surrounding the Leaving Neverland documentary.
The restaurant owner, Peter Van Gelder, bought the statue from Sony at a charity gala in 1996 and hopes to donate it to a fan club. However, due to its size, a building permit is required.
A Nightclub in Austria: Another statue has been spotted in the courtyard of a defunct nightclub in Austria. Owner Franz Josef Zika won the statue in a 1998 radio charity auction and spent 150,000 Austrian Schillings (£9,300) on it. With the club closed, Zika is trying to sell the statue for €25,000 (£21,000).
A Miniature Town in South Africa: A repainted statue stands in the abandoned Santarama Miniland theme park in Johannesburg. The park once showcased the country in miniature, but now the statue remains as a relic, visible in Google Earth satellite images.
A Swiss Fairground: A statue in Lausanne, Switzerland, was refurbished with gold paint added to Michael Jackson’s faux military uniform. Although it used to be displayed annually at Luna Park, it hasn’t been seen for a few years, and the organizers stress it’s not for sale.
An Italian Amusement Park: Europark Idroscalo Milano restored their statue in 2019, but it’s now up for sale. The statue was purchased at the end of Michael Jackson’s tour and remained abandoned for years before being restored and unveiled with a Jackson-themed flash mob.