Nelson & His World

Having last year, with every ones help, put together the definitive list of Nelson's 'Freedom Towns' I thought it would be fun to compile a similar list of Nelson statues (full figure, no busts or figureheads). To get us started see below:

Home

London – Trafalgar Square
Greenwich – Trafalgar Inn
Old Portsmouth (with replica in US Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis)
Birmingham – Bullring
Liverpool – Exchange Flags Square
Norwich – The Close
Menai – by Menai Bridge

Away

Barbados – Bridgetown
Montreal – Place Jacques-Cartier
Gibraltar – South Bastion

I look forward to your contributions.

I have two entries for you. The Nelson Monument in St Pauls Cathedral by John Flaxman and a life size statue in the grounds of Corby Castle near Carlisle Cumbria.

Phil

I have two entries for you. The Nelson Monument in St Pauls Cathedral by John Flaxman and a life size statue in the grounds of Corby Castle near Carlisle Cumbria.

Phil

Thanks Phil,

Slightly embarrassed at missing St Paul's of my list, but the Corby Castle statue is new to me, thanks. That makes it 12 so far.

Ray

Corby Castle is a new one on me too Ray. I think it is made of Coade Stone so may have come from the company's catalogue (Coade & Sealy at the time I think)

I have 2 or 3 suggestions of my own. Will try to add them over the next day or so. Unless anyone beats me to it.

Here is an image of the Corby Castle statue from the web. It shows owner's URL so I don't think is offending any copyright.

I haven't double-checked this, which I really should, but aren't there 2 statues of Nelson in Montreal?

I'm sure that some while back they refurbished the Nelson Pillar in Montreal and the original statue was so worn that it was replaced.

The original statue was then put on display in the local museum.

I will have egg on my face if I have got this wrong but I think I might be right.

Phew I think I was right. This is the original statue from the Montreal column/pillar, now in the Centre d'Histoire in Montreal.

I presume we can include the full size wax model in Westminster Abbey.

If we are including wax figures, then Madam Tussauds in London still appear to have a Nelson figure. I remember on a visit there many years ago they had a tableau displayed of the Death of Nelson based on the Devis painting. Now it appears to have been changed to a seated figure in a period chair.

I have a postcard of a similar death tableau displayed in the Louis Tussaud's English Wax museum at Niagara Falls in Canada. The postcard is probably 60/70s and I couldn't find an up to date image on the internet, so not sure if this one still exists.

So there is a possible two more entries.

Phil

Phil,

When I made that post I wondered if Ray would want to include wax figures and I was thinking precisely of that tableau that used to be at Madame Tussaud's. I think it would have been as far back as the 1960s when I saw it there.

I think we had a bit of a discussion about it on one of the Nelson forums a few years back.

Anyway I have got another couple of possibles for Ray's list made of something a bit more substantial than wax!

OK I believe this is another Coade stone statue of Nelson but quite different from the one at Corby Castle.

This one is located at the Italianate village of Portmeirion in N. Wales.

I took my own photograph of it many years ago. (around the late 1980s I think). At that time it was looking the worse for wear and has obviously had at least one serious "makeover" since then.

Do ex-statues count? There was a statue of Nelson atop Nelson's pillar in Dublin which was blown up by the IRA 50 years ago today, 8 March 1966.
There's a link here with more details of the statue, created by Thomas Kirk of Cork, and the place of the pillar in Dublin life. There is also a picture of masked IRA men with Nelson's head, which was blown off in the explosion. I had a few reservations about posting this image but it is part of history and can't be obliterated. But apologies if anyone is offended. I'll remove it if anyone feels strongly.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/ ... 85859.html

Anna

I too was thinking of nominating the Nelson pillar but was not sure if a 'posthumous' statue would be passed by the adjudicator. The Irish Examiner article you posted was very interesting and it was good to read that the statues head is still on display in a Dublin Library.

This reminded me that I came across a modern photograph for sale last year on ebay, of the wrought iron entrance gates to the pillar which also still exist. The purchaser of this was to also get details of where the gates were actually photographed. However an internet search easily revealed that after the 1966 explosion, Dublin City Council Cleansing Department obtained them and they are now erected in a garden at the main drainage depot in Ringsend, Dublin. There is however apparently no plaque to identify them.

Mark

Well done for identifying the Portmeirion statue. I don't recall reading about it or seeing a picture before. Perhaps a keen eyed member can tell us if this ever featured in the 1960's series 'The Prisoner'.

Phil

Anna,

Coincidentally there was an interesting article on the BBC news website today, regarding the Nelson Pillar in Dublin and 'commemorating' the fiftieth anniversary of its being blown up in 1966. It is a little hurtful to Nelsonites to read about, of course, but the article is quite lengthy and informative and contains much that I had not heard of – for instance, students hawking the head around to various venues to raise money to pay off a debt!

We have to remember, of course, that this was not directed at Nelson personally, but because he represented the British establishment. Even the bomber had to admit that he was a great Admiral even if not, in his opinion, for Ireland!

Anyway here's the article:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35787116

Portmeirion is a definite qualifier. I didn't include two for Montreal as the one on the monument is a replica of the one in the museum, but why not? I'm certainly not including wax figures on my list (I've always thought the one in Westminster Abbey positively creepy). Again, Dublin was deliberately omitted as it no longer exists. The list is now 13 plus 2 replicas (Montreal has 2 and Portsmouth's replica is at the US Naval Academy, Annapolis).

My wife constantly complains that everywhere we visit appears to have a Nelson connection (just back from Barbados where we bumped into the statue in Bridgetown). After many years of her wanting to visit Portmeirion I agreed to a visit last week (I'm not kidding) and now this statue has popped up - she'll never believe I was not aware of it. I may need witnesses!

Ray