Black sailor, relief, Nelson’s Column

On the plinth for Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London are four brass reliefs. The relief on the southside of the plinth was made by John Edward Carew and entitled The Death of Nelson.
On the left of the relief you can clearly see a black sailor guarding the mortally wounded Nelson. The image confirms that black sailors took part in one of Britain’s greatest victories.
This photo was taken for Black and British: A Forgotten History, a BBC series revealing
the extraordinary long relationship between the British Isles and people whose origins are in Africa.