Other

Following the Leader

Erection date: 1949

Site: Following the Leader (1 memorial)

SE11, Laud Street, Vauxhall Gardens Estate, Darley House

The full title 'Following the Leader (Memorial to the Children Killed in the Blitz)’ makes it clear that this relief is indeed a memorial. Two other nearby, similar Peri reliefs are not so named but we have collected them anyway for completeness. Everything below applies to all 3 sculptures.

Commissioned by the LCC, the sculptures together with the bricks around them are all Listed (Following, Footballers, Mother) but the rest of the buildings are not. The listings explain that in the 1930s Peri "pioneered the use of concrete as a medium for expressive sculptures and came to specialise in architectural reliefs in coloured concrete, developing ‘Pericrete’, a mixture of concrete with polyester resin and metallic powders." and that the "concrete {is} laid over an expanded metal mesh". Ornamental Passions has more to say about the technique.

We noticed that for all these sculptures the bricks in the wall behind are slightly differently-coloured, or cleaner, than those of the rest of the walls. The Listings explain: "According to the catalogue of a Peri exhibition at the Leicestershire Museum and Art Gallery in 1991, the composition was originally framed by dark coloured pointing to the brick to make it stand out from the rest of the surface but this has since been replaced with standard mortar."

All are described as being "mounted on the stair tower" but the towers look more like lift towers, added to the (probably) pre-war blocks after the war.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Following the Leader

Subjects commemorated i

The Blitz

During WW2 Britain came under heavy bombing from Germany for 8 months, 1940-1...

Read More

World War 2

Sorry, we've done no research on WW2, it's just too big a subject. But do vis...

Read More

Civilian deaths in London caused by enemy action

This page brings together all the memorials that we have for civilians killed...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Following the Leader

Created by i

Peter Peri

Born in Hungary as Ladislas Weisz. Moved to Berlin in the 1920s and became, t...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Great Exhibition - Coalbrookdale Gates

Great Exhibition - Coalbrookdale Gates

SW7, South Carriage Drive

From Royal Parks: "The gates were designed by Charles Crookes. Each of the cast iron gates was cast in one piece. Their finials, supporti...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Eva Hart

Eva Hart

RM6, Chadwell Heath High Street, 1128, The Eva Hart Public House

Hart lived in nearby Japan Road for most of her adult life until her death. There is no specific memorial to her in the pub, but lots of ...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Alice Drakoules bird bath

Alice Drakoules bird bath

NW8, St John's Wood High Street, St John's Wood church gardens

The north face is carved with images of a deer, squirrel, fox and pelican. The opposite face shows a horse, cat, dog and pigeon. The anim...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Woolwich Market

Woolwich Market

SE18, Beresford Square

Inscriptions for Beresford Square and Woolwich Market are on opposite sides of the arch. 

2 subjects commemorated
Bermondsey Town Hall - remains

Bermondsey Town Hall - remains

SE16, Spa Road, Old Bermondsey Library / Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist centre

These piers and ironwork are in front of the Sainsbury's (opened 2014) to the right of the Library.

1 subject commemorated

Previously viewed

Children's Society

Children's Society

Founded by Edward Rudolf as the Church of England Central Society for Providing Homes for Waifs and Strays.  In 1946 the name was changed to the Church of England Children's Society.  The first hom...

Group, Children, Social Welfare

1 memorial
London County Council

London County Council

Prior to the LCC London matters were run by church parishes. The LCC was the first directly elected strategic local government body for London. Replaced by the Greater London Council, covering a la...

Group, Politics & Administration

285 memorials
Endell Street Military Hospital

Endell Street Military Hospital

Established in the disused St Giles workhouse buildings during WW1 under the command of Dr Flora Murray & Dr Louisa Garrett Anderson (both suffragettes), this 573-bed hospital is the only Briti...

Building, Gender Issues, Medicine

1 memorial
Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital

Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital

The wonderful Lost Hospitals of London provides information: The Royal Westminster Infirmary for the Cure of Diseases of the Eye was founded by George James Guthrie (1785-1856). Clinics were initi...

Group, Medicine

1 memorial
Bdsm. John Heritage

Bdsm. John Heritage

Killed by the IRA Regent's Park bomb - not killed outright but was mortally wounded, dying 12 days later, aged 29 years. 

Person, Armed Forces, Tragedy

1 memorial