---
title: "Bust of H.J. Blackham"
date: "2022-04-28T17:16:03+01:00"
modified: "2022-04-29T16:51:01+01:00"
url: "https://heritage.humanists.uk/object/bust-of-h-j-blackham/"
post_id: 6903
categories: ["Ethical Movement"]
tags: ["Ethical Movement", "Humanism", "Literature", "Philosophy", "Social welfare"]
---

# Bust of H.J. Blackham

[H.J. Blackham](https://heritage.humanists.uk/harold-john-blackham/) started his pioneering humanist career at [Stanton Coit](https://heritage.humanists.uk/stanton-coit/)’s ‘[Ethical Church](https://heritage.humanists.uk/the-ethical-church/)’, and became known as the ‘architect’ of the modern humanist movement. The first Executive Director of the British Humanist Association (now Humanists UK), he was instrumental in promoting humanism as a complete, lived philosophy, and in organising the International Humanist and Ethical Union in 1952 (now [Humanists International](https://heritage.humanists.uk/humanists-international/)). This bronze bust, commissioned by the British Humanist Association to mark Blackham’s retirement, was created by sculptor Martyn Wright. At the 1973 Annual Conference of the BHA, a replica was presented to Blackham himself, while the original was kept (and remains) in the organisation’s London office. While Executive Director, Blackham pioneered a humanist counselling service – a forerunner of today’s Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network. His books on humanism helped to widen public awareness and to establish the BHA as the UK’s leading body representing the non-religious. At the heart of Blackham’s humanism was an active drive to help others; a sense of ‘conscience in action’. In 1963’s *Objections to Humanism,* he summed this up:







> Faith without works is not Christianity, and unbelief without any effort to help shoulder the consequences for mankind is not Humanism.