Memorial: M1353

Statue in Birmingham commemorating Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson d. 1805

Location

Bull ring centre, Birmingham, England

Transcript

'THIS STATUE / IN HONOR OF / ADMIRAL / LORD NELSON / WAS ERECTED / BY THE / INHABITANTS OF BIRMINGHAM / A.D.DMDCCCIX'

Details

Description: Lord Nelson is represented in a reposed and dignified attitude, his left arm reclining on an anchor. He is adorned with the many medals and Orders his illustrious naval career had earned him. To the left of the statue is a representation of HMS Victory with Nike, goddess of victory, holding aloft her customary laurel wreath, at the prow. Above the ship is a facsimile of the Flag Staff truck of the French flagship of 120 guns, L'Orient, which was recovered by Captain Hood of HMS Zealous from the sea after the Battle of the Nile. The statue's original marble plinth had a cartouche of a mourning figure representing Birmingham, murally crowned accompanied by genii offering trident and rudder.
Type: Monument
Date Erected: 25/10/1809
Artists: Richard Westmacott
Vessel: HMS Victory

Event

Battle of Trafalgar

Event Date

1805

Event Category

1803-1815 Napoleonic War

People

Nelson, Horatio
Age: 47
Date of Death: 21/10/1805
Cause of Death: War casualty
Rank / Occupation: Vice Admiral
Organisation: Royal Navy

Extra

Notes: Unveiled 25 Oct 1809. Similar statue by Westmacott in Barbados erected 1813. Moved in 1959. The plinth was damaged in 1960 and was replaced by the current one in 1963, which is made of Portland stone. In 2003 the memorial was cleaned and restored as the focal point of the new Bull Ring development. The wreath laying ceremony was revived in 2004. The original railings were re-instated in September 2005 after a 2 year campaign by The Birmingham Civic Society.
Bibliography: J.D. Bennett 'Discovering Statues: Central and Northern England' (Tring, 1968); Richard Walker 'Nelson Portraits' (Portsmouth, 1998) p. 189; Colin White (editor) 'The Nelson Companion' (Portsmouth,1995) p. 136. 'Gentleman's Magazine', May 1812. Pl.II. p.417.
Photographer: Stephen Hartland 2005

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JSON

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  "id": "M1353",
  "location": "Bull ring centre, Birmingham,  England",
  "transcript": "'THIS STATUE / IN HONOR OF / ADMIRAL / LORD NELSON / WAS ERECTED / BY THE / INHABITANTS OF BIRMINGHAM / A.D.DMDCCCIX'<br />\r\n<br />",
  "content": "<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://memorials.rmg.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/M1353Large.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6515\" width=\"305\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https://memorials.rmg.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/M1353Large.jpg 500w, https://memorials.rmg.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/M1353Large-218x300.jpg 218w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 305px) 100vw, 305px\" /></figure>\n\n\n<p>Statue in Birmingham commemorating Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson d. 1805</p>",
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  "categories": ["Uncategorised"],
  "details": {
    "description": "Lord Nelson is represented in a reposed and dignified attitude, his left arm reclining on an anchor. He is adorned with the many medals and Orders his illustrious naval career had earned him. To the left of the statue is a representation of HMS Victory with Nike, goddess of victory, holding aloft her customary laurel wreath, at the prow. Above the ship is a facsimile of the Flag Staff truck of the French flagship of 120 guns, L'Orient, which was recovered by Captain Hood of HMS Zealous from the sea after the Battle of the Nile. The statue's original marble plinth had a cartouche of a mourning figure representing Birmingham, murally crowned accompanied by genii offering trident and rudder.",
    "type": "Monument",
    "position": "",
    "materials": "",
    "dateErected": "25/10/1809",
    "artists": "Richard Westmacott",
    "vessel": "HMS Victory"  },
  "event": {
    "event":"Battle of Trafalgar",
    "date": "1805",
    "category": "1803-1815 Napoleonic War"  },
  "people": [{"name":"Nelson, Horatio","age":"47","dateofdeath":"21/10/1805","causeofdeath":"War casualty","rankOccupation":"Vice Admiral","organisation":"Royal Navy"}],
  "extra": {
    "notes": "Unveiled 25 Oct 1809. Similar statue by Westmacott in Barbados erected 1813. Moved in 1959. The plinth was damaged in 1960 and was replaced by the current one in 1963, which is made of Portland stone. In 2003 the memorial was cleaned and restored as the focal point of the new Bull Ring development. The wreath laying ceremony was revived in 2004. The original railings were re-instated in September 2005 after a 2 year campaign by The Birmingham Civic Society.",
    "bibliography": "J.D. Bennett 'Discovering Statues: Central and Northern England' (Tring, 1968); Richard Walker 'Nelson Portraits' (Portsmouth, 1998) p. 189; Colin White (editor) 'The Nelson Companion' (Portsmouth,1995) p. 136. 'Gentleman's Magazine', May 1812. Pl.II. p.417.",
    "recorder": "",
    "photographer": "Stephen Hartland 2005"  }
}

Commemorating seafarers and victims of maritime disasters