A new sculpture is celebrating a same-sex pirate couple from the 18th century, 300 years after they shocked the world. Few people today know about Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
But they were two of the most famous pirates from the era that inspired Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean films. Bonny was born in Ireland in 1697 and Read in England in 1685.
They dressed as men to find their fortunes at sea and soon became pirates. They found each other too and became lovers. Now artist Amanda Cotton has unveiled a new sculpture of the pair.
It celebrates their history as ‘Hell Cats’ and their intimate relationship with the sea. Cotton is displaying the sculpture right now at London’s Execution Dock.