One might suppose to be the subject of or the artist behind a piece of civic art would be a desirable way to leave a physical legacy in the world. Future generations would stop to admire the result, gently patinaed by age and made even more striking than when it was first unveiled. Manchester is replete with monuments recognizing the many achievements of its citizens. Scientists, politicians, activists, musicians, and artists rendered in stone, metal, and paint adorn every corner of urban Manchester—and rightly so! But what of the unloved examples…
