Who resisted and campaigned for abolition?

Henry Mayers Hyndman

Edward Hill Lacey (1892-1967), 1922
Bronze

Object number NMLH.1992.1078
Given by JPM Millar, National Council of Labour Colleges Publishing Society Ltd, around 1985

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Henry Mayers Hyndman

Henry Mayers Hyndman was the grandson of an owner of slave plantations in Guyana. In 1884 he founded the Social Democratic Federation (SDF), Britain's first Marxist party. Much of the power of Karl Marx's political writings derived from the fact that they were formed as scientific theory. According to Marxist analysis, the capitalist system would ultimately collapse because of its inherent contradiction: it was founded on the exploitation of human labour. The SDF were not successful in building support for Marxism in Britain and remained a small fringe party, succeeded by the Communist Party of Great Britain.

This bust is a copy of the original bronze commissioned in 1922 by the Hyndman Memorial Committee. The original was presented to the National Portrait Gallery in London.

This information was provided by curators from the People's History Museum.