Statue

Imperial Hotel - statue 20

Erection date: 1898

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 who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Imperial Hotel - statue 20

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 20

Also at this site i

Imperial Hotel - statue 01 - Cromwell

Imperial Hotel - statue 01 - Cromwell

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

Read More

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

Nearby Memorials

Clive of India - statue

Clive of India - statue

SW1, Clive Steps

John Tweed was the sculptor of the statue.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Kindertransport - Kent

Kindertransport - Kent

EC2, Liverpool Street Station, Lower level

This sculpture was first installed in 2003, just outside this station, in what is now named Hope Square, when it looked very different, c...

4 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
Churchill statue - Parliament Square

Churchill statue - Parliament Square

SW1, Parliament Square

12 foot high, bronze. Unveiled by Lady Churchill.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
King George I statue, WC2 - lost

King George I statue, WC2 - lost

WC2, Leicester Square

A gilded statue of George I was created for the Duke of Chandos in about 1716. Modelled by C. Buchard (or C. Buchan, depending on source)...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Black Bull Inn, W6

Black Bull Inn, W6

W6, King Street, 257

This is a much travelled bull. It was sculpted by Obadiah Pulham at Woodbridge in Suffolk, during the early 19th century. Transported to ...

3 subjects commemorated, 2 creators

Previously viewed

Herbert Wilcox

Herbert Wilcox

Film producer and director. Born Herbert Sydney Wilcox at Norwood. He fought in the Royal Flying Corps in WW1 and entered film production in 1922. Formed the British and Dominions Film Corporation ...

Person, Cinema

1 memorial
Lady Well

Lady Well

SE13, Ladywell Road, Lister House

The large plaque can be seen in our photo on the building to the left.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Grigory B. Karasin

Grigory B. Karasin

Grigory Borisovich Karasin was born on 23 August 1949 in Moscow, Russia and was his country's ambassador to the United Kingdom from March 2000 to June 2005. His Wikipedia page gives details of his ...

Person, Politics & Administration, Russia

2 memorials