Street art honouring the woman who was a ground-breaking computer programmer has been removed alongside England flag graffiti in Reading.
Street art honouring Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer, has been removed in Reading, alongside some England flag graffiti.
The mural depicted Lovelace with a yellow headband, equations, and read, ‘Ada Lovelace: Engineering Pioneer 1815-1852’. It was painted on a utility cabinet in Northumberland Avenue, Whitley, which also had St George's crosses spray-painted on it.
A masked man was reportedly seen painting these crosses on street signs and road markings across Whitley, including Long Barn Lane and Cressingham Road.
A Reading Borough Council street cleaner removed the graffiti by 1pm on Tuesday, August 26, but the Lovelace painting remained until 7.30pm on Thursday, August 28.
A council spokesperson stated, “We appreciate people may want to show their patriotism, but we cannot condone this action, which presents a safety risk to the public. The council will be removing the paint and repainting these assets.” An update on the removal of the Lovelace art has been requested from the council.
The meaning of a faded Middle Eastern inscription nearby remains unclear, although it resembles Arabic script, which is also similar to Farsi.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
