Sculpture

St Michael's School, Chester Square - statue

When you have a winged character overpowering a dragon - who is it - St Michael or St George? 

Here we have St Michael. Our confidence comes from the existence of St Michael's (National) School on this site. As happens quite often, we think that when the school was demolished to make way for this rather dull 50s (?) block they rescued this piece of sculpture and placed it here in memory of the school.

Two thirds of this block, the northern part, used to be occupied by St Michael's (National) School - see 1891 map. This map shows a detached property at the centre of the southern part of the site, surrounded by, presumably, gardens. Another 1901 map shows the same arrangement. Both maps show the fountain on the corner. It's likely that the detached property had been subsumed into the school by the time the whole block was redeveloped.

Trying to find an image of the school (and failing) we kept finding it described as "St Michael's Chester Square". Certainly the church, St Michael's, is in nearby Chester Square (to the north). We can only think that the school was named after the church, including the address. Perhaps it started in a small building in Chester Square and kept the name when it moved to this much larger site. Either way it confused us and probably confused lots of people at the time.

We found a presentation book on eBay which confirms that "St Michael's School, Chester Square, London SW1" still existed in 1953.

2022: IanVisits says that the detached property was the St Michael's vicarage, last occupant Rev. James Fleming. That seems extremely likely, but we still can't find an image of it.

Site: Richard Grosvenor fountain (2 memorials)

SW1, Pimlico Road

The 1954 film 'Cocktails in the Kitchen' has Dirk Bogarde and wife living in a one-room flat in the Cundy Street flats near here and, at about 30 mins in, the camera pans past this junction showing this fountain and the statue exactly as they now are.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
St Michael's School, Chester Square - statue

Subjects commemorated i

St Michael's School and Vicarage

Associated with St Michael's church, Chester Square.

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
St Michael's School, Chester Square - statue

Also at this site i

Richard Grosvenor fountain

Richard Grosvenor fountain

'EMW' are the initials of the Marquess's wife, Elizabeth Mary who died 1891, ...

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Nearby Memorials

Hammersmith war memorial

Hammersmith war memorial

W12, Shepherd's Bush Green

The quotation on the main plinth is adapted from the Apocryphal book of the Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 3, Verses 2 - 4.

3 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
sculptural group 2 - Jellicoe

sculptural group 2 - Jellicoe

SW1, Trafalgar Square

Jellicoe and Beatty had each, at different times, been commander of the Grand Fleet in WW1 and had died within 5 months of each other, wh...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Stock exchange war memorial - St Michael & St George

Stock exchange war memorial - St Michael & St George

EC4, Rose Street, Stock Exchange building, Paternoster Square

Thomas Brock: Forgotten Sculptor of the Victoria Memorial provides a photo of the St Michael and St George statues that were originally p...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
sculptural group 1 - Jellicoe

sculptural group 1 - Jellicoe

SW1, Trafalgar Square

Of the 4 this is the west-most sculpture.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Agatha Christie book

Agatha Christie book

WC2, Cranbourn Street

Unveiled on the 60th anniversary of The Mousetrap, this bronze, 2.5 m high 'book' was commissioned by The Mousetrap's producer Sir Stephe...

11 subjects commemorated, 3 creators

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Charles James Pibworth

Charles James Pibworth

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1 memorial
Earl of Halifax

Earl of Halifax

SW1, Eaton Square, 86

English Heritage Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax, 1881-1959, statesman, Viceroy of India and foreign secretary, lived here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Gilbert Bayes

Gilbert Bayes

Born 6 Oval Road, Camden Town. Also did the bronze group with clock at the entrance to Selfridges; Oxford Street (1928); the lovely sculptural work on 1 Wigmore Street (1925) as shown at Ornamental...

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Yun Byung-Se

Yun Byung-Se

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