Statue of George Palmer | |
---|---|
Artist | George Blackall Simonds |
Year | 1891 |
Medium | Bronze |
Subject | George Palmer |
Designation | Grade II Listed monument |
Location | Palmer Park, Reading |
51°27′07″N0°56′19″W / 51.4519°N 0.9386°W |
The statue of George Palmer stands in Palmer Park, in Reading, Berkshire. [1] The statue, by George Blackall Simonds, was unveiled on 4 November 1891, [2] though it was originally in Broad Street and only later moved to Palmer Park. [3] The statue has been classed Grade II Listed monument since 14 December 1978. [4]
The statue was given by the towns-folk of Reading, [5] "in recognition of his services and gifts to the town", [6] and unveiled 4 November 1891, [3] the same day of the opening of the 49 acre Palmer Park. [7] Four thousand subscribed to the cost of the statue. [8] The opening of the park and the unveiling of the statue have been described as "the biggest celebration Reading had ever seen. [7]
It was originally sited in Broad Street, but was moved in 1930 to its current location. [3]
The statue depicts Palmer, standing, with top hat and umbrella clasped in his right hand, while his left holds his lapel. It was the first statue in Britain with an umbrella. [9] [10] The statue was unveiled on 14 November 1891, [4] the same day that Palmer Park was given to the town. [8]
The statue is in bronze, mounted on a substantial pink granite plinth, with moulded cornice and base. [4]
George Palmer (1818–1897) was a Quaker baker, known for his partnership with Thomas Huntley, which formed the biscuit firm Huntley and Palmers. [1] Palmer invented machinery which stamped biscuits in bulk. A noted philanthropist, he gave the site of Palmer Park to Reading in 1891, [8] as well as King's Meadow. [6] His family also donated the site of Reading University. [1] The borough also granted him Freedom of the City, the first person honoured thus, in recognition of his many contributions to civic life. [8]
George Blackall Simonds (1843–1929) was a Reading sculptor and director of H & G Simonds Brewery. He exhibited consistently at the Royal Academy. [1] Simonds studied under Johannes Schilling in Dresden, and Louis Jehotte at The Academy of Brussels. [11] He created over 200 pieces in many different media. [11]
While The Falconer (1873) is in Central Park, New York, [12] much of his larger work is to be found in or near Reading. Substantial pieces were also commissioned for Indian locations, Allahabad [13] and Calcutta. [14]
The Maiwand Lion (1866) in the Forbury Gardens is his, the statue of Queen Victoria at the Town Hall and the statue of H. Blandy, another mayor of Reading. [15] In 1922 he designed the war memorial at Bradfield, Berkshire, [16] which commemorated the deaths of local men in the First World War including his son, a lieutenant with the South Wales Borderers. [17]
Reading Museum is a museum of the history of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire, and the surrounding area. It is accommodated within Reading Town Hall, and contains galleries describing the history of Reading and its related industries, a gallery of artefacts discovered during the excavations of Calleva Atrebatum, a copy of the Bayeux Tapestry, finds relating to Reading Abbey and an art collection.
Huntley & Palmers is a British company of biscuit makers originally based in Reading, Berkshire. Formed by Joseph Huntley in 1822, the company became one of the world's first global brands and ran what was once the world’s largest biscuit factory. The biscuits were sold in elaborately decorated biscuit tins. In 1900, the company's products were sold in 172 countries; further, their global reach saw their advertising posters feature scenes from around the world. Over the years, the company was also known as "J. Huntley & Son" and "Huntley & Palmer".
Alfred Palmer (1852-1936) was a member of the Palmer family, proprietors of the Huntley & Palmers biscuit manufacturers of Reading in England.
George Palmer was a British entrepreneur, being mostly known as proprietor of the Huntley & Palmers biscuit manufacturers of Reading in England.
Palmer Park is a public park in Reading, England. The land for the park was given to the town by the proprietors of the Huntley & Palmers biscuit firm and it contains a statue of George Palmer. The park in turn gives its name to Park ward of the Borough of Reading, which surrounds it.
Joseph Huntley (1775–1857) was an English 19th-century biscuit maker and innovator, who lived in the English town of Reading. In 1822 he founded a small biscuit baker and confectioner shop at number 72 London Street.
H & G Simonds Ltd was a brewing company founded in Reading, Berkshire, England in 1785 by William Blackall Simonds. The company amalgamated with Courage & Barclay in 1960 and dropped the Simonds name after ten years. Eventually the firm became part of Scottish & Newcastle who sold the brands to Wells & Young's Brewery in 2007 and closed the Reading brewery three years later.
The Maiwand Lion is a sculpture and war memorial in the Forbury Gardens, a public park in the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. The statue was named after the Battle of Maiwand and was unveiled in December 1886 to commemorate the deaths of 329 men from the 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot during the campaign in the Second Anglo-Afghan War in Afghanistan between 1878 and 1880. It is sometimes known locally as the Forbury Lion.
George Blackall Simonds was an English sculptor and a director of H & G Simonds Brewery in Reading, Berkshire.
Blackall Simonds may refer to:
Simonds may refer to:
Newtown, Reading is a suburb of the town of Reading in Berkshire, England. It is situated in East Reading between the Cemetery Junction and the River Kennet. The population is a socially and ethnically diverse mix of families, professionals and Reading University students.
Marlston is a village in the English ceremonial county of Berkshire. For administrative purposes, it lies within the civil parish of Bucklebury and the unitary authority of West Berkshire.
William Blackall Simonds (1761–1834) was a brewer and banker in the English town of Reading. He founded both H & G Simonds Brewery, which merged with other breweries to form Courage, Barclay, Simonds & Co in 1960, and J & C Simonds Bank, one of the precursors to Barclays bank.
Occupation at the site of Reading may date back to the Roman period, possibly as either a trading port on the River Thames, or as an intersection on the Roman road connecting London with Calleva Atrebatum near Silchester.
George Edward Wade was a British sculptor. He was largely self-taught as an artist and is best remembered for his statues of royalty and politicians.
The statue of Queen Victoria stands at the eastern end of Friar Street outside the Town Hall of Reading, Berkshire, in southern England.
The Sir Joseph Bazalgette Memorial is a memorial to the Victorian engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, by George Blackall Simonds. It is located on the Victoria Embankment, a few feet up river from the Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges, opposite the junction with Northumberland Avenue.
The following is a timeline of the history of Reading, the county town of Berkshire in England.