Statue

Imperial Hotel - statue 01 - Cromwell

Erection date: 1898

The fur collar, the cap . . . Surely this statue is the man in the Cromwell portrait.

Site: Imperial Hotel - statues (21 memorials)

WC1, Russell Square

On this site there used to be a sister hotel to Hotel Russell, also designed by Charles Fitzroy Doll and erected in 1898. It was demolished in the 1960's and all that remains are these statues from the Turkish baths (on that page there is a photograph of them in their original location), bells and a galleon that now adorn the central courtyard of the current hotel.
Two groups of statues line the entrance to the underground car-park. There are six life-size, scantily clad allegorical women, two of them clutch books helpfully entitled "Literature" and "Chemistry"; one clutches a mask - indicating "Theatre" but the other three aren't telling. .And there are these 21 Tudor characters, each about 2 foot tall. The 5 bells, in decreasing size are embossed: United Kingdom MCMXII {1912}, India, Canada, Australia, South Africa. The bells and the galleon are on the casino facade. This facade also has a large, working, clock and at the centre of the courtyard there is a fountain, also working. These last two features date with the current building rather than with the statues.

The statues, created for display inside the Turkish baths, are not responding well to the exterior British climate. A layer of paint (possibly intended as protection) is peeling off and they are looking rather sorry for themselves.

Of the 21 statues, 6 of them are repeated so there are 15 personages represented. We have done our best to identify them (poring over Tudor portraits) and have managed 6 with a fair degree of certainty but that leaves 9 un-identified.

Calling all Tudor historians - can you identify these people?

2014: Spitalfields Life reports on a reunion held in a function room at the Imperial Hotel, with lots of photos.  And in some of these photos you can see versions of these statues, in glass cases.   We made a fact-finding visit and located the room as the Elizabethan Restaurant".  The statues are in much better condition than those out on the car-park ramp but there is no additional information: no labels and no sculptor's name on the statues, as far as we could see.

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:
Imperial Hotel - statue 01 - Cromwell

Subjects commemorated i

Thomas Cromwell

Born Putney. Executed on Tower Hill by order of Henry VIII, while Henry marri...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Imperial Hotel - statue 01 - Cromwell

Created by i

Imperial Hotel, Russell Square

Designed by Charles Fitzroy Doll.  The picture was taken in 1913 after the co...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Imperial Hotel - statue 01 - Cromwell

Also at this site i

Imperial Hotel - statue 02 - Shakespeare

Imperial Hotel - statue 02 - Shakespeare

Beard, balding head . . and the stance and outfit are very similar to those o...

Read More

Imperial Hotel - statue 03 - Elizabeth I

Imperial Hotel - statue 03 - Elizabeth I

Unmistakably Queen Elizabeth I.

Read More

Imperial Hotel - statue 06 - Drake

Imperial Hotel - statue 06 - Drake

This statue is surely modelled on the Boehm statue of Drake erected at Tavist...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Sir Keith Park

Sir Keith Park

SW1, Waterloo Place

A resin version of this statue was temporarily installed in Trafalgar Square on the 'fourth plinth' on 4 November 2009.

2 subjects commemorated, 4 creators
Phyllis Pearsall - steel statue

Phyllis Pearsall - steel statue

SE16, Brunswick Quay

{On a nearby bench:} Plaque 1:The characters for this Portrait Bench chosen by your community celebrate Sustrans winning a nationwide vo...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Frieze of Parnassus - Pugin

Frieze of Parnassus - Pugin

SW7, Kensington Road

The monument, officially titled the Prince Consort National Memorial, celebrates Victorian achievement and Prince Albert's passions and i...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Colonial Office - S17 - Queen Victoria

Colonial Office - S17 - Queen Victoria

SW1, Whitehall, Foreign Office

Statues Hither and Thither has been invaluable in identifying some of the busts and most of the statues. The statues are not labelled and...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
John Bunyan

John Bunyan

WC1, Southampton Row, 6, Baptist Church House

The statue is dated 1903.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

Jimmy Mizen

Jimmy Mizen

The day after his 16th birthday he was attacked and killed at the Three Cooks bakery on Burnt Ash Hill.

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
C. Bowall

C. Bowall

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Ted and Hilda Bowman

Ted and Hilda Bowman

SE1, Copperfield Street, All Hallows Church garden

The Bowman plaque can be seen in our photo at the bottom left. A notice board just outside our photo, to the right, gives some history of...

2 subjects commemorated
BBC Television Centre - Michael Bentine

BBC Television Centre - Michael Bentine

W12, Wood Lane, BBC Television Centre - Star Terrace

The plaque on the brick wall in the picture reads: The BBC Star Terrace, "Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love" Sylvie Dee. De...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
S. A. L. Boundford

S. A. L. Boundford

Resident of Hendon who served and died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial