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Birmingham's Heritage and Attractions
Birmingham's Statues and Memorials
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Queen Victoria Statue
Victoria Square
Thomas Brock R.A
The statue that gave the square its name is by
Thomas Brock and was unveiled on 10th January 1901, just 12 days before
the death of the Queen. The original statue was marble. In 1951 (to mark
the Festival of Britain) a bronze cast was made. In 1992 this was taken
away to be cleaned, returning in April 1993 as the refurbishment of the
Square was nearing completion. |
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The Floozie in the Jacuzzi: The River and her
companions
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In 1993, Victoria Square was
pedestrianised and remodelled. This included the installation of a massive
water feature.
Around the rim of the upper pool is a quotation from
Burnt Norton, one of the Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot:
And the pool was filed with water out of sunlight,
And the lotos rose, quietly, quietly,
The surface glittered out of heart of light,
And they were behind us, reflected in the pool.
Then a cloud passed, and the pool was empty.
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"The River" In and around
the fountain are other works by Dhruva Mistry
Sat in the upper pool, is a monumental female figure
representing the life force. The figure has been nicknamed "the
Floozy in the Jacuzzi" and weighs 1.75 tonnes. The River is also a
fountain - one of the largest in Europe - with a flow of 3,000 gallons per
minute.
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"Youth"
At the bottom of the fountain- feature are 2 smaller
figures representing youth, also by Mistry.
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"The Guardians"
Two Sphinx-like animals made from the same Darley Dale
stone as the Council House. They were carved by the carving workshop in
Cambridge. |
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Thomas Attwood
(Sioban Coppinger, 1992)
Don't look up, but look down at this life-size statue of the noted
19th-century political reformer, which is reclining on the steps by the
Town Hall leading into Chamberlain Square. A little known but important
leader, Attwood was a banker and and one of the first two M.P.s
representing Birmingham after the Reform Bill of 1832, a believer in
monetary reform and a supporter of the ideals of the Chartists. |
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photo by Chris Jefferies
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Iron Man
Anthony Gormley's controversial statue stands 20ft
tall at the lower end of the square, near Pinfold Street. It was a gift to
the city by the Trustee Savings Bank, in March 1993. It was cast at Firth
Rixon Castings in Willenhall and represents the traditional skills of
Birmingham & the Black Country.
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If
you are interested in Sculpture you will like this book |
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