Plaque

Queen's Tower - IC

Erection date: 4/7/1887

Inscription

This stone was laid by Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Empress of India, on the 4th day of July 1887 in the 51st year of her reign.
President - His Royal Highness Albert Edward Prince of Wales.

The stone was laid only 14 days into her 51st year so we're taking this as a late commemoration of her Golden Jubilee. And the remaining tower we are taking as a memorial to the Institute of which it is the only remains.

Site: Queen's Tower - IC (2 memorials)

SW7, Imperial College Road, Queen's Tower

The day we visited seemed to be “Theodolite Day” – a local custom in which the lads and lasses bring their theodolites out onto the village green and, well, perform theodolisation, we guess.

A nearby information board gives: "The Queen's Tower is all that remains of the Imperial Institute, which was built to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887.  It was 700 feet long with a central tower (the Queen's Tower) and smaller towers at the east and west ends {one tower at each end}.  When it was to be demolished in the early 1960s, the Victorian Society and John Betjeman campaigned against total demolition and the Queen's Tower was saved.
The Queen's Tower is 287 feet tall, clad in Portland stone and topped by a copper covered dome.  the internal wooden structure of the dome is an interesting example of Victorian craftsmanship.  Near the entrance to the tower are two large stone lions.  These are two of the four lions which flanked the entrance to the Imperial Institute.  The other two are now at the Commonwealth Institute in Holland Park.
The belfry contains the Alexandra peal of 10 bells.  Each bell is separately named after members of the Royal family - Queen Victoria, her three sons, her daughter-in-law Alexandra and her five Wales grand-children.  the bells are now rung on Royal Anniversaries between 1 and 2pm."

The architect of The Imperial Institute was T. E. Collcutt.  The building was demolished to make space for Imperial College which was expanding all around it.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Queen's Tower - IC

Subjects commemorated i

Imperial Institute

Established in 1887 to promote research that would benefit the British Empire...

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Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria

The fiftieth anniversary of the accession of Queen Victoria was celebrated on...

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Queen Victoria

Reigned: 1837-1901, 64 years. Born Kensington Palace. Daughter of Edward, Duk...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Queen's Tower - IC

Created by i

King Edward VII

Reigned: 1901 - 1910. Born and died at Buckingham Palace. Victoria's eldest s...

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Queen Victoria

Reigned: 1837-1901, 64 years. Born Kensington Palace. Daughter of Edward, Duk...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Queen's Tower - IC

Also at this site i

Imperial Institute lions

Imperial Institute lions

Of the four lions that used to flank the entrance to the Imperial Institute t...

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Nearby Memorials

New River - N4

New River - N4

N4, Finsbury Park

As far as we know (and we have walked the full length) this is the only such plaque on the New River. Finsbury Park was created in 1869 ...

1 subject commemorated
Barber Beaumont - vault stone

Barber Beaumont - vault stone

E1, Mile End Road, The People's Palace Foyer, Queen Mary University of London

Our transcription of this long inscription was aided by the typed Winter 1978 newsletter of the East London History Society  "A Tombstone...

5 subjects commemorated
Jones's butcher's shop

Jones's butcher's shop

E17, Wood Street, 78

This is Walthamstow not Walmington-on-Sea!

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
William Penn

William Penn

EC3, Byward Street, All Hallows by the Tower

For information about the church, including a good range of photographs see A London Inheritance.

2 subjects commemorated
P. G. Wodehouse - SW3

P. G. Wodehouse - SW3

SW3, Walton Street, 16 (or 18)

We don't understand the "L.L.A.D." on the plaque - perhaps the erecting organisation?  Please let us know if you have an explanation.

1 subject commemorated