Symbols & Secrets – Page 15 – Walking the City of London

Holborn Viaduct – ladies, lions and ‘maximum bling’

On 20th July 2023

In Architecture, Art, City Symbols, Commerce, Sculpture

Last week I promised you a bit more about this brilliant Victorian masterpiece of engineering and sculpture.

There are four ladies on the Viaduct representing Fine Art, Science, Agriculture and Commerce.

Fine Art was sculpted by Farmer & Brindley …

In her right hand she holds a crayon ‘as drawing is the most essential principal in Design’. Her left hand holds a drawing board with paper pinned to it, which rests on her left thigh. Her left foot rests on an Ionic capital denoting architecture. Behind her to her left is part of a Corinthian column, on the top of which stands a bust of Pallas Athena, ‘as she was the patroness of both the useful and elegant arts’.

Behind the figure’s right foot, a small palette and brushes rest on the base …

Science is also by Farmer & Brindley. She is ‘of more masculine proportions than Fine Art, with a fine penetrating countenance’ …

Her tiara has a star at its centre and stars form the fringe of her robe. She holds in her hand the ‘Governors’ that were used to control steam engines. At her left side stands a tripod on which is placed a terrestrial globe encircled with the Electric Telegraph wire which is connected with a battery.

Around the top of the tripod are the signs of the zodiac ‘indicating Astronomy’ …

Beneath it lie compasses and a crumpled sheet of paper with geometrical drawings, one of them a demonstration of Pythagoras’s theorem (you also get a better view of the battery in this picture) …

Agriculture was sculpted by Henry Bursill …

She wears a crown of olives, ‘the emblem of peace’, and there is a decorative band of oak leaves on the fringe of her robe. ‘She turns to Providence with a thankful expression for a beautiful harvest’ and in her right hand she holds a sickle. Beside her left foot is a belt with a sheath, containing a whetstone.

Bursill also sculpted Commerce …

She is shown ‘advancing with right hand outstretched towards mankind in a sign of welcome, whilst in her left she proudly holds gold ingots and coin, the foundation of enterprise and Commerce in the civilized world’. At her feet to her right are two keys along with a parchment showing the City Arms representing ‘the Freedom of the City’ …

Farmer and Brindley are also responsible for the four winged lions …

I love these Atlantes holding up a balcony. They date from 2014 when the north east pavilion was rebuilt …

Here’s one in close up …

In 2013 the Viaduct was repainted and re-gilded with, at the request of the City Conservation Officer, ‘maximum bling’.

You get an idea of how well this was accomplished in this picture. It shows the re-gilded base of one of the lamps, a knight’s helmet and a City dragon …

There is a fascinating article about the work, particularly the gilding, here.

I hope you have enjoyed these two visits to the Viaduct. Again I have been plundering Dr Philip Ward-Jackson’s wonderful book Public Sculpture of the City of London for much of this blog’s detail.

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Sculpture in the City is back!

By The City Gent

On 13th July 2023

In Sculpture

Yes, hooray, new sculptures are springing up throughout the City for us to enjoy (particularly when the weather is sunny).

Here are some of the images I have taken over the last week along with some other things I liked.

I’m attaching below each picture the explanatory plaque that goes with it.

At St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate Churchyard, EC2M 3TL …

At Undershaft, EC3P 3DQ (Next to St Helen’s Building) …

At 100 Bishopsgate, EC2M 1GT …

At Undershaft, EC2N 4AJ (In front of Crosby Square) …

At Mitre Square, EC3A 5DH …

At 33 Creechurch Lane, EC3A 5AY …

Underneath the Cheesegrater building at 122 Leadenhall St, EC3V 4AB is another work by Herrara …

And a favourite of mine from last year is still there. I caught it just when the sun was in the right position (Cunard Place, EC3A 5AR) …

Outside the entrance to Moorgate Station this work is now in the process of being erected – no plaque as of yet …

Here are a few more images from my recent walk.

I like the glass canopy at 22 Bishopsgate …

And Morph is popping up all over the City …

Read all about it here.

And finally, an Ahhhh moment. I have never before seen so many ducklings at the Barbican …

The heron and the seagulls seem to have got bored with grabbing baby ducks for a quick snack!

Oh, and don’t forget …

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Coats of Arms – a mid-year Quiz

By The City Gent

On 6th July 2023

In Architecture, City Symbols, Commerce

As you know, I usually do a quiz at Christmas, but I thought it might be fun to do one now around mid-year.

The City livery companies and the City of London itself grew up together. Those working in the same craft lived and worked near each other, grouping together to regulate competition within their trade and maintain high standards. The early London guilds benefited their members and customers alike, controlling the manufacture and selling of most goods and services in the Square Mile. When some guilds introduced their own distinctive clothing and regalia – or livery – to distinguish their members from those in other guilds, they soon became known as livery companies. All have been granted coats of arms, some dating back to the 15th century, and many are displayed proudly on buildings throughout the City.

There is a nice little summary on the website of the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers about livery company coats of arms. They say that the acquisition of a coat of arms by a livery company signified social status in the same way that a coat of arms was the badge of a gentleman: a visual affirmation of its permanence and distinguished heritage: a combination of a traditionally noble characteristic with merchants and craftsmen. The care and expense that companies lavished on the acquisition, preservation and display of their important documents and insignia suggest that antiquity and heraldry were important aspects of their sense of corporate identity, alongside processions, halls, feasts and clothing.

Over the last few weeks I have been seeking out some examples and photographing them, twelve of which are set out below.

Just for fun, do have a look at them and try to guess the trades and professions they represent just by looking at the arms and their mottoes. I have provided a few clues and the answers are at the end of the blog … some are more obvious than others!

1. ‘Ecce Agnus Dei Qui Tollit Peccata Mundi’ – ‘Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world’. A few clues. The angels are ‘crowned with stars in token of light’ and the company’s original motto was ‘things which are in dispute are made clear by the light’.

2. The Crest is a lynx – a short tailed wild cat whose fur was formerly held in great esteem. No one below the rank of Earl was allowed to wear it.

3. ‘Give Glory to God’ – these leopards have managed to change their spots

4. ‘Hinc Spes Affulget’ – ‘Hence Hope Shines Forth‘ – somewhere to shelter on your journey (and get a drink and some food)

5. ‘My trust is God alone’ – you may be on tenterhooks trying to work this one out

6. I don’t think a clue is needed for this one

7. The beehive is a good clue – and their product had purposes other than providing light

8. The trowel offers a strong hint

9. Their motto is ‘A blessing to the aged’ – I can vouch for that

10. ‘Throughout the world I am called the bringer of help’ – The horns of the rhinoceros and the unicorn were reputed to be of medical use

11. The motto is God is our Strength and if you look closely you will see four salamanders, the top two chained together. In medieval times they were reputed to be able to survive fire.

The final coat of arms belongs to an Honourable Company rather than a Worshipful one – a rare privilege bestowed on the company by King George V.

12. The ship is the Golden Hind in full sail and the Red Ensign flag and gold quadrant are also clues.

The answers are the Worshipful Companies of …

1. Tallow Chandlers : Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2SH

2. Skinners : 8 1/2 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2SP

3. Dyers : 10 Dowgate Hill, London EC4R 2ST

4. Innholders : 30 College St, London EC4R 2RH

5. Clothworkers : Dunster Court, Mincing Lane, London EC3R 7AH

6. Saddlers : 40 Gutter Lane, London EC2V 6BR

7. Wax Chandlers : 6 Gresham St, London EC2V 7AD

8. Plaisterers : 1 London Wall, London EC2Y 5JU

9. Spectacle Makers : Apothecaries Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EL

10. Apothecaries : Black Friars Lane, London EC4V 6EJ

11. Ironmongers : Shaftesbury Place, Off Aldersgate Street, London EC2Y 8AA

12. The Honourable Company of Master Mariners : 4 Temple Place, WC2R 2PG (the picture is of their coat of arms in All Hallows by the Tower, Byward St, EC3R 5BJ)

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Sir Christopher Wren – special events for the tercentenary of his death.

By The City Gent

On 29th June 2023

In Architecture

As regular readers of my blog will know, Wren is one of my great heroes and I am delighted to report that he is being celebrated by a number of events in this tercentenary of his death in 1723.

You can read more about these here and about the man himself here.

My friends at the Guildhall Art Galley have put on an exhibition entitled Wren at Work and I visited it on Sunday.

There you’ll find numerous facsimiles of drawings and plans, such as this one by Wren’s brilliant and trusted assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor …

Here are some of the other images I took …

The labels are very informative (even if you have to get down on your knees to read some of them!).

The artist / cartographer Adam Dant has created a specially commissioned map which describes aspects of Christopher Wren’s life and times and this is also on display …

Not surprisingly, St Paul’s Cathedral is also hosting an exhibition entitled Wren 300 – Innovation and Restoration.

The exhibition is in the Crypt so, if you want to see it, you must pay to enter the Cathedral. Before visiting it, I paid my respects to the great man at his tomb – a plain monument in a quiet corner …

‘Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you.’

Nearby …

A better image from the Cathedral website …

Here are some of my shots of the exhibition itself …

Wren is hauled up in a basket to inspect progress …

In a glass case you can see his ceremonial staff inscribed with his title ‘Surveyor to the Fabric’ (circa 1710) …

Along with his penknife and its case …

There is also a stonemason’s cap discovered during structural work in the 1920s …

A pair of dividers for measuring distance between two points on a plan or a map. Inscribed ‘Sir Christopher Wren, February 1697’ …

And alongside …

Faith Coghill, Wren’s first wife …

And a letter to her written by him …

Copy of a bust by Edward Pierce made about 1673 …

On my way home from the Guildhall Gallery I paused at St Lawrence Jewry to admire the lovely stained glass window that celebrates the great man himself along with Grinling Gibbons and Edward Strong …

You can read more about it and other stained glass masterpieces here.

Since this is a new Wrenaissance (!) why not treat yourself to a Walking Tour of his churches. More information can be found here on the City Guides Website.

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Fascinating City history at the Guildhall Gallery.

By The City Gent

On 15th June 2023

In Art, City Symbols, Sculpture, Social History

Whenever I’m stuck for something to write about the Guildhall Gallery often comes to my rescue.

I visited the little Heritage Gallery on Monday and what I found was very interesting. Rather than rewrite all the information on the plaques I hope you won’t mind if I simply reproduce them below.

Look at these fine fellows …

The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Nicholas Lyons, and the Sheriffs, Alderman Alastair King and Andrew Marsden for the period 2022-2023.

The Mayoralty Charter …

In 1215 King John was faced with a major rebellion …

An etching of the Magna Carta seal which I found on the Internet …

Also on view is the Cartae Antiquae …

Dating from the 1400s, this beautifully illustrated book records charters and statutes covering laws enacted from the reign of Edward III (1327 onwards) to the accession of Henry VII in 1485. City officials used this book as an essential reference tool as they scrutinised statute and safeguarded the rights of the medieval City. There is a portrait of each king on the first page of the statutes for his reign; the page open shows the portrait of Richard III, one of the best known medieval monarchs.

The famous William Charter of 1067 is here too …

You can read more about it in my blog of 12 January this year.

In a nearby display case are prints of Coronations in the 19th century.

George IV on 19 July 1821 …

William IV on 8 September 1831 …

And finally Queen Victoria on 28 June 1838 …

As you leave the exhibition space and head for the exit, take a moment to inspect the David Wynne sculpture of Prince Charles as he then was …

He just doesn’t look happy, does he? Maybe he wasn’t too keen on the rather spiky modern version of a coronet that he is wearing here at his 1969 Investiture as Prince of Wales. It was designed by a committee chaired by his auntie Princess Margaret’s husband, Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Lord Snowdon). The globe and cross at the top was originally intended to be solid gold but the committee concluded that this would be far too heavy. The solution was to use a gold plated ping-pong ball – which is why I always smile at this portrayal of the Prince (and possibly why he doesn’t appear to have ever worn the item again).

In other news, the Barbican duckling population seems to have thrived this year. I haven’t seen the heron lately – could that be the reason?

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