Stevenage: Franta Belsky, “Joyride”, 1958 Public Sculpture

This bronze statue, entitled “Joyride” was made by Franta Belsky, who moved to England from Czechloslavakia in 1938. The modern statue, a mother playfully carrying her child, was unveiled in 1958 in the Stevenage Town Square. Stevenage is one of England’s “new towns”, and Belsky was commissioned in 1957 by the Development Corporation to commemorate the towns growth.