The Statues & Effigies of Old London
Queen Anne gazes down Ludgate Hill eternally
Do you ever get the feeling you are being watched from above? That there is a silent figure observing from a strategic vantage point? Many of the statues and effigies of old London – as photographed a century ago by the London & Middlesex Archaeological Society for magic lantern shows at the Bishopsgate Institute – are so familiar as to be invisible to the casual passerby, but they have got their eyes on you.
Over the years, they have seen everything from their plinths – riots and marches, weddings and funerals, bombs and parties, war and peace, tourists and commuters. With frozen postures and implacable composures, the statues and effigies have no choice but to carry on watching – growing infinitely wise and eternally bored.
Gods, monarchs, Nelson & Wellington, and Victorian worthies alike, after all this time, many are shorn of the details of their original significance, exchanging it for a simpler heroism derived from the longevity of their images. The statues and effigies of London are the oldest residents of the streets, and – over time – these familiar weathered stone and bronze figures have become universally appreciated for their usefulness as memorable landmarks and fond embodiments of the places they inhabit.
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 copyright © Bishopsgate Institute
You may also like to take a look at
The High Days & Holidays of Old London
The Fogs & Smogs of Old London
“…no choice but to carry on watching – growing infinitely wise and eternally bored.”
Lovely!
Beautiful and haunting photographs. Thanks GA.
Unless I’m mistaken the pic labelled Richard Cobden is actually Thomas Coram, at the entrance to the Foundling Hospital.
Is it known where the statue of Caroline of Brunswick is sited/remains/still stands? She was the reviled wife of George, Prince of Wales, Prince Regent (he of the Brighton Royal Pavilion). I have wondered if our Regency Brunswick Town (Brunswick Place, Square, etc.) was named in her honour – she was German.
In Queen’s Sq, Bloomsbury I believe
I get a feeling of satisfaction from seeing a noble king covered in bird droppings
Gary
Hi,
Very interesting article. The photograph of the Richard I statue is back to front, and I think that the photograph of the Landseer Lion is much earlier than 1910, the building on the left in the background is Morley’s Hotel and the buildings on the right should be the Grand Hotel and the Hotel Victoria if this is 1910. The buildings look like they are being demolished which suggests that this is 1874 or thereabouts when Northumberland House was demolished to make way for Northumberland House, the Grand Hotel was built in 1879 and the Hotel Victoria in 1886.
Poor old Queen Anne – there was a popular ditty made up about her thanks to that statue of her next to St Paul’s, which went something like:
“Brandy Nan, Brandy Nan, you’re left in the lurch;
Your face to the gin shop, your back to the church.”
I believe the non-arch equine statue of Wellington depicts him astride his favourite horse, Copenhagen. To round off these hearsay statuesque facts, making them a triumvirate, Landseer used the paws of his pet cat to model the lion’s paws of the Trafalgar Square lions.
Another great article and more great pictures! What a wonderful blog this is!
GA, yet another great piece. I go to London often and enjoy checking out every statue that I pass.
I was happy to see GEORGE PEABODY included here. It is quite an impressive statue near the Royal Exchange. Peabody was born poor on a farm in Danvers, Massachusetts in 1795. A self-made entrepreneur, he really invented what we now call “banking” with the help of financiers like J. P. Morgan. He was most philanthropic – spreading his largess to those cities where he made his fortune – Boston, Baltimore, and London especially. He lived in Britain most of his life and was honored by Queen Victoria for building housing for the poor in London.
At his death in 1869, a grand funeral was held at Westminster Abbey. The Queen offered a burial spot in the Abbey, but Peabody had insisted on being buried “at home.” In the meanwhile the town of South Danvers chose to change their name to “Peabody.” A large contingent of dignitaries accompanied his body back to America. On the day of the interment, however, a blizzard drove the mourners (including one of Victoria’s sons) to seek shelter in the humble homes of nearby farmers.
George Peabody never married so he had no heirs. Yet his contributions live on in libraries and museums here and abroad. How do I know? I live next door to Peabody in Lynnfield, Massachusetts.