Statue of Queen Victoria
| Browse information by: Location Makers General Information Classification Object Parts Object Condition History References Photographs |  Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright for Photograph: Creative Commons |
Location
| Street: | Marlborough Place / Grand Parade |
| Town: | Brighton |
| Parish: | Brighton |
| Council: | Brighton & Hove City Council |
| County: | East Sussex |
| Postcode: | BN1 / BN2 |
| Location on Google Map | |
| Object setting: | Garden |
| Access is: | Public |
| Location note: | Church Street end of Victoria Gardens |
| In the AZ book: | East Sussex |
| Page: | 162 |
| Grid reference: | F7 |
| The A-Z books used are A-Z East Sussex and A-Z West Sussex (Editions 1A 2005). Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd. Sevenoaks. | |
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Makers
| Name : | Carlo Nicoli |
| Role: | Sculptor |
| Company/Group : | The Sculptured Marble Company, London. |
| Role: | Builder |
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General Information
| Commissioned by: | Sir John George Blaker |
| Installation date: | 1897 |
| Unveiling date: | 08/12/1897 |
| Work is: | Extant |
| Owner custodian: | Brighton & Hove City Council |
| Object listing: | Grade II: of special interest warranting every effort to preserve them |
| Listing date: | 20/08/1971 |
| Description: | Octagonal base constructed of three graduated sections. Scrolls on the corners of the plinth and a rope border around the top plinth. She clutches a scroll (damaged) in her left hand and her robe in the right hand. She wears the Garter sash and her crown is worn over a mantilla. She is depicted in the act of opening Parliament. |
| Signatures: | South aspect of statue, bottom of integral base:
Nicoli |
| Inscription: | Victoria kg 1897 Middle step of base: THE SCULPTURED MARBLE CO. 11 QUEEN VICTORIA ST LONDON. E C |
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Classification
| Categories: | Sculptural, Free Standing, Commemorative |
| Object type1: | Statue |
| Object type2: | Sculpture |
| Subject type1: | Figurative |
| Subject subtype1: | Standing |
| Subject type2: | Portrait |
| Subject subtype1: | Full-length |
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Object Parts
| Part 1: | Pedestal, lower section |
| Material: | Carrara marble |
| Height (cm): | 180 |
| Width (cm): | 200 |
| Depth (cm): | 200 |
| Part 2: | Stepped base |
| Material: | Carrara marble |
| Height (cm): | 45 |
| Width (cm): | 400 |
| Depth (cm): | 400 |
| Part 3: | Pedestal, upper section |
| Material: | Carrara marble |
| Height (cm): | 68 |
| Width (cm): | 130 |
| Depth (cm): | 130 |
| Part 4: | Statue |
| Material: | Carrara marble |
| Height (cm): | 250 |
| Width (cm): | 85 |
| Depth (cm): | 85 |
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Object Condition
| Overall condition: | Good |
| Risk assessment: | No known risk |
| Condition 1 of type: | Vandalism |
| Condition 1: | Surface damage |
| Condition 2: | Structural damage |
| Condition 3: | Graffiti |
| More details: | Copious graffiti on north side of lower section of pedestal. |
| Condition 2 of type: | Structural |
| Condition 1: | Cracks, splits, breaks, holes |
| Condition 2: | Replaced parts |
| Condition 3: | Broken or missing parts |
| More details: | Base has pieces broken off and cracks. |
| Condition 3 of type: | Surface |
| Condition 1: | Surface spalling, crumbling |
| Condition 2: | Abrasions, cracks, splits |
| More details: | Statue and parts of pedestal weather worn. Statue has lost some of its original detailed carving. |
| Date of on-site inspection: | 31/01/2005 |
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History
| History: | Sir John George Blaker, (15 October 1854 - 11 June 1926). Mayor of Brighton between 1895 and 1898. Knighted in 1897. Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) in 1918. He was created 1st Baronet Blaker, of Brighton, on 5 September 1919. He also held the office of Justice of the Peace (J.P.) for Sussex. He presented the statue to the town at the opening of Victoria Gardens at the time of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee on 22 June 1897.
The statue was unveiled by the Mayor's daughter, Miss. Jessie Blaker. ('Brighton Almanack for 1898') The Magazine of Art was particularly scathing about this work: 'This statue of Her Majesty the Queen impresses us neither as a portrait or as an example of sculpture. But what can be expected when the commission was placed with a commercial sculptural company which undertakes to supply ''busts of statesmen and others executed from photographs'', together with stairs, balusters, headstones and other marble works? We have received from them an eulogistic description of the Brighton statue accompanied by a biographical sketch of the ''eminent sculptor'', which omits his name. Is the eminent sculptor - presumably an Italian - ashamed of his connection with commercial sculpture?' (http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/speel/place/brightn2.htm 22/01/2008) |
| Hard archive file: | Yes |
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References
| Source 1 : | |
| Title: | 'Brighton Almanack for 1898' |
| Type: | Book |
| Location: | Brighton History Centre |
| Date: | 00/00/1898 |
| Page: | 91 |
| Publisher: | D.B. Friend and Co. Hove. |
| Source 2 : | |
| Title: | The Archive Photographs Series: Brighton and Hove' |
| Type: | Book |
| Author: | Wales, Tony. |
| Date: | 00/00/1997 |
| Page: | 24 |
| Publisher: | Chalford. Trowbridge. Wilts. |
Further information: | |
| http://www.nicoli-sculptures.com/sculptures/carlo_nicoli.asp | |
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Photographs
Date: 17/04/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Date: 17/04/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
 Date: 17/04/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |  Date: 17/04/2007 Author: Anthony McIntosh Copyright: Creative Commons |
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