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LONDON STATUES - MILITARY

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LONDON STATUES - MILITARY      When I began this series, I decided to exclude military figures as they are numerous and their legacies can be contentious. However, some are simply too significant to be ignored so I've put together this brief selection - far from definitive.      And where better to start than with  what is perhaps London's most famous statue? No half measures here - no half-Nelson . Horatio Nelson (1758-1805)     Britain’s most celebrated naval commander stands immortalised atop Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square , commemorating h is decisive victory - and death - at the Battle of Trafalgar . A complex hero, he combined tactical brilliance with personal audacity, becoming a symbol of national resilience in the Age of Sail . His body was preserved in a barrel of brandy for the journey home.     Witnesses (especially Thomas Hardy) reported Nelson's last words were "Kiss me, Hardy". This is generally accepted a...
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LONDON STATUES - BUSINESS AND PHILANTHROPY

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  BUSINESS & PHILANTHROPY      Not all statues celebrate conquerors or kings. This penultimate group reflects a different kind of power: money, enterprise, and - at least in part - the impulse to give something back.      As usual, t he accompanying portraits are courtesy of  The National Portrait Gallery :  For use in non-commercial projects (e.g. online in scholarly and non-profit publications and websites, blogs, local society newsletters and family history).  THOMAS GRESHAM (c.1519-1579)      Founder of the Royal Exchange , Thomas Gresham was the archetypal Tudor financier -royal agent, currency fixer, and unapologetic operator. His Exchange, opened in 1571, formalised London’s role as a trading hub to rival Antwerp. Gresham’s name lives on in economics via 'Gresham’s Law' (bad money drives out good), though he never actually wrote it down. He is also commemorated among the allegorical merchant worthies on Holborn...
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