The Statues Of Old London
London is a city of statues that we mostly ignore until their meaning is pointed out to us. Then we have to consider the suitability of those whom we choose to glorify in this way and thus we constantly renegotiate our relationship with history as culture evolves. Here are the statues of old London, photographed a century ago by the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society for magic lantern shows at the Bishopsgate Institute.
Queen Anne gazes down Ludgate Hill, c.1910
Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Sq, c. 1910
Achilles in Hyde Park, c. 1910
Prince Albert, c. 1910
Alfred the Great in Trinity Sq, Southwark, c. 1910
Charles II, c. 1910
Caroline of Brunswick, c. 1910
Thomas Coram, c. 1910
Charles Darwin in the Natural History Museum, c. 1910
John Franklin, c. 1910
General Gordon in Trafalgar Square, c. 1910
Crimean Memorial, c. 1900
Rowland Hill in King Edward St, c. 1910
Capt Maples at Trinity Almshouse, Mile End Rd, c. 1920
Gog at the City of London Guildhall, c. 1910 – note the box camera caught in the left corner of the frame
Magog at the City of London Guildhall, c. 1910
Richard the Lionheart in Palace Yard, c. 1910
Sir Hans Sloane in Apothecaries’ Gardens, Chelsea, c. 1920
Temple Bar, Fleet St, c. 1870
Queen Anne at St Paul’s Cathedral, c. 1920
James II, c. 1910
House of Parliament, St Stephen’s Hall, c. 1920
One of Landseer’s lions at the base of Nelson’s Column, c. 1910
George Peabody, c. 1910
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, c. 1915
Physical Energy in Kensington Gardens, c. 1910
Duke of Wellington, c. 1910
Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner, c. 1880
Duke of York’s Column at Waterloo Place, c. 1900
Images courtesy Bishopsgate Institute
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A very timely blog with all the fuss about statues which is going on right now, and using the old photos helps put things into historical perspective.
Interesting that the Stuart kings had themselves depicted as Roman Emperors – how vain is that?!
But I’m glad to see two of my heroes Thomas Coram and George Peabody are featured (although I hardly dare research them further to see if they have got any back stories which might tarnish their reputations …)
I would love to know what happened to some of these old statues. There are probably a few stuck in someone’s back yard
What a wonderful collection. The Stuart kings in Roman attire are the best. Vain, certainly (as Jill Wilson comments), but very funny too.
Greetings from Boston,
GA, nice to see all those statues that stood in London a century or more before.
I was glad to see the one of GEORGE PEABODY (1795-1869), the American philanthropist who lived in England for decades, made a huge fortune in the nascent “banking’ business, and funded much of the original public housing in London. I believe you have referred to Peabody estates in earlier pieces.
Queen Victoria loved him, even offering to have him buried in Westminster Abbey. But the terms of Peabody’s will stipulated his desire to rest in Peabody, Massachusetts (formerly Danvers). His cortege was led stateside by Victoria’s son Prince Arthur.
A replica of Peabody’s statue by William Wetmore Story also stands in Baltimore, Maryland.
Indeed so timely and the photos so evocative themselves for a lantern show. I love the inclusion of fantasy characters Peter Pan that I have seen and the two giants guarding old London as well as people considered notable. What a worthwhile project to review who and what is memorialized this way.
I’d have thought General Gordon would be a target, though I don’t remember seeing him there, perhaps Traf Sq was earlier de-cluttered.
Incidentally, I don’t think it is a box camera in one of the photos, but a generic bellows one
In the immortal words of the little boy weeing in the back street of Brussels. ” If people are foolish enough to believe the hype about me and want to erect a statue, let the statue be of me doing something useful “
As to Stuart worthies being partial to Roman togas for their statues – the habit increased in the 18th and early 19th centuries, due to the fact that a classical education with Roman and Greek languages was the major subject on offer at Universities all that time all over Europe. Evidently the toga lent dignity to local and transitory wars. And Karl Marx, writing in the mid-19th century, noted that “The French revolution was enacted in Roman dress.”
Above the Queen Anne statue that’s a curious device on the roof of John Howell & Co, looking like an overlarge steam whistle.
Kelly’s Street Directory of 1915 gives “Howell John & Co. Limited, warehousemen” so perhaps it is merely an ambitious chimney vent.
Best wishes to GA, to Schrödinger and to readers all over the place.
What happened to Capt Maples at Trinity Almshouse? I don’t think he’s in situ anymore…
Amazing Statues, Thank you So Much!! ????????
The photograph of Queen Caroline has been reversed.
The identity of this statue was rather confused – at different times it was thought to be of Queen Charlotte, George III’s consort, and Queen Anne. This presumably led to someone adding the oddly-placed sceptre against her right hand in the photo; this has now been removed.