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RECENTLY, PETER Knibb, chief financial officer of Pan Caribbean Financial Services, sent me a February 2012 issue of BET magazine in which the identical picture and pose most Jamaicans identify with National Hero Paul Bogle was ascribed to Thomas L. Jennings.He yearned to know what was happening.
In 1821, Jennings invented dry cleaning, which keeps threads tight.He was also the first African American to receive a patent in the United States.Unfortunately, he does not have a patent on his picture, hence Jamaicans could apparently allege that it belonged to Bogle.
Furthermore, there are many within cultural circles who are aware of this problem. In the file of Bogle at the National Library, there is this intriguing comment, “W.G. Ogilvie, a member of the Jamaica Historical Society, has discovered a photograph which, although it has not been absolutely authenticated, appears genuine”.This picture was never authenticated, so when was the transition made for it to be the picture of Bogle even appearing on our money note? It was a genuine picture from the 19th century, but apparently not Bogle.
The editorial note at the National Library continued claiming that it was the photograph of Bogle because “the sitter’s style of dress is what a local preacher would have worn in those days – a black three-piece suit, rather clerical, but lacking the round, white collar buttoned behind, since Bogle had not been ordained”. However, Bogle was ordained, and his ordination certificate was signed by his business partner George William Gordon and fellow pastor Richard Warren (See The Cross and Machete, pp 72-77).
This picture was discovered in 1971, six years after Edna Manley completed the sculpture of Bogle, which features some people did not like. According to Edna Manley: The Diaries, her sculpture was based on the pose of a descendant of Bogle, which would give her a more accurate resemblance of Bogle.
In addition, the Colonial Standard of October 18, 1865 gives an insight into the physical features of Bogle as “a very black man, with shining skin, bearing heavy marks of smallpox on his face, and more especially on his nose; teeth good, large mouth with red, thick lips; about five feet eight inches in height, broad across the shoulders, carries himself indolently, and has no whiskers”. This description, with its demeaning use of smallpox, would possible be indicative of Bogle in many ways since this description was given in order that Bogle could be captured for the reward of £2,000.
As we celebrate Jamaica 50, let us not embarrass the memory of Bogle by waiting on the United States or the family of Jennings to charge us with plagiarism. Let us use Edna Manley’s depiction of Bogle as a better picture of Bogle.
In addition, we also have the wrong picture of Bogle concerning his characteristics. He is still seen by too many persons as someone who had violent intentions.Manley, in her statue, captured the essence of Bogle as a Christian martyr in the mould of Jesus the Christ, whom he served with his outstretched arms reminding us of the crucifixion of Jesus.Indeed, Bogle was inspired by his Christian Faith to agitate against the injustices in the society, low wages and lack of land.
We who have the right image of Bogle should be concerned that the former Jamaica Labour Party administration had promised a liveable wage criteria, but nothing has been released. And the People’s National Party had promised that those who can afford to pay for education and health should pay, but there has been no implementation of this wise policy which could help the less fortunate.
Bun babylon, every blackman weh stan up always seen as rebel,bun di so called queen.
it sad people dont care a man who did so much get no respect like him die in vain
When I seh I was looking for any signs trust mi. What bothered mi the most is the fact not only the man in picture was the 1st man to invent dry cleaning, but is when mi google Paul Bogle and a see the same imagine. Met mi spend hours looking and reading. How mi know what they thought to mi was true, when dem don’t have the courage all these yrs to share the truth. I believe this image should be removed from currency and all statues or paintings cause it’s damn misleading and why give credit all these yrs to the wrong man. Like yuh seh dem should act fast b4 plagiarism come in play.
What the hell… Seriously, I had no ideal that the imagery that I thought was Paul Bogle is actually that of Thomas L. Jennings. This is really disgraceful big time–especially since Bogle made it onto our national currency…
I wonder who took Thomas Jennings’ portrait to Jamaica and pass it off as our national hero…are the other pictures of the other heroes real?
The picture that I have always questioned was the one of Nanny. Since they had a picture–allegedly–of George William Gordon, I suspected that those same people would have been able to corroborated Bogle’s imagery.
This is really embarrassing–I am surprised that Jenning’s family are yet to create a stink out of this…
Very few records of Jamaica’s history was kept and what is strange about even the Nanny picture is that they claim that the maroons were from Ghana but what has been passed down from them are not the ways of people from Ghana. Nanny in particular whatever was kept about her was destroyed by the whites because of their hatred for her. If Jennings picture made it all the way from the U.S to Jamaica then some white man had a hand in twisting the tale of the heroes. Dis is more dan embarrassing
I totally agree… I am not going to lie, this might seem benign to some; I find this to be the most monumental article that I have read in a long time. As Jamaicans, we’ve all been mislead–I am going to have this history professor that I know look into this.
This is something very serious…
Its more than serious but Jamaica’s history is what has been fed to us. No research has been done and has never been done. The retrieval of artifacts from Port Royal was done by an archeologist from here, not from any official from Jamaica. No diggings were ever done on Maroon site to support anything they have written. What has been fed is part of a conspiracy to veil the truth as always. That picture was deliberately used to mislead us , the clothing in the picture does match the period of time but does not match our personal history so it was no buck up that this picture happened..It was a deliberate move and we must know why. The descendants of the maroons that live in Maroon town do not resemble the people of Ghana at all. If you were to check the rituals done in St. Thomas which is the only part of Jamaica that has kept the African tradition , you will see that those were not done by the people of Ghana or Nigeria . DNA tests are available and should be use to begin the research into our real history.
Yuh knw a nanny me always here my great grand dem a talk seh is not she doah but fi dis one here bout Paul Bogle deep…
(Simplicity soon sign in )
Mi wudda want dem tell me how dem arrive at that drawing of her
Met, you are beyond correct…
dammm shame di bigga heads fi do betta. di man wah did di most inna jamaica get no respect. every school fi teck a trip a lease one a year
Met I was looking into the language the maroons spoke and dem claim fi seh it a from a creole language use in Ghana. I YouTube a video just to hear the language and I discovered it’s a much different creole from what we use to. But then again the truth is still untold.
Ghana has many different languages none of them are called creole the only person that could confirm that is someone from Africa mi doe trust dem
These are the languages there and I think they also speak pidgin english
1.1 Akan
1.2 Ewe
1.3 Dagbani
1.4 Dangme
1.5 Dagaare
1.6 Ga
1.7 Nzema
1.8 Kasem
1.9 Gonja
1.10 Twii
Met I keep reading the post like really mi gone google smh this no funny
We need fi know how this man come fi become our national hero and deh pan wi money
Funny Thomas Jennings was also an abolitionist
Government need fi answer and tell di ppl dem whey Thomas do fi we fi him image tek all di fame fi this national hero of ours and like wise answer fi di rest a the fellow heroes that was about in di 18th century.
THERE IS A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE CALL ”THE TRUTH ABOUT JAMAICA AND JAMAICAN” YOU NEED TO POST THAT VIDEO MET.. PPL ARE FINALLY START TO SEE THAT WE BEEN TOLD LIES UPON LIES ABOUT OUR TRUE HISTORY
I actually went to high school with one of Paul Bogles great grand daughters. Their resemblance is uncanny.
does she resemble the man on the two dollar bill?