Statue of Sir John Franklin

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Sir John Franklin
Statue of Sir John Franklin - geograph.org.uk - 6145476.jpg
Statue of Sir John Franklin
Artist Matthew Noble
Completion date1866
Subject John Franklin
Location London
Coordinates 51°30′23″N0°07′56″W / 51.5065°N 0.1323°W / 51.5065; -0.1323
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameStatue of Sir John Franklin
Designated5 February 1970
Reference no.1066145

The statue of Sir John Franklin is a Grade II listed statue by the Athenaeum Club on Waterloo Place. [1]

John Franklin was a British Naval Officer and Arctic expleror. He fought in the battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar. [2] The monument names all the members of the failed Franklin's lost expedition, none of which would return. [3] The expedition would be termed as Franklin's company as those who "forged the last link with their lives" of the Northwest Passage. [4] Franklin and his expedition would be popular in folklore, being the inspiration for a number of poems. The statue would often serve as a site where a crowd would gather for a public telling of the story of Franklin's expedition. [5]

The statue was designed by Matthew Noble and completed in 1866. Franklin is depicted in naval uniform. As much of the detail surrounding Franklin's expedition is unknown, it is a belief held by some that Franklin did indeed discover the Northwest Passage, a statement which is inscribed on the plinth. [2]

References

  1. ↑ "Statue of Sir John Franklin, Non Civil Parish – 1066145 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 Matthews, Peter (2012). London's statues and monuments. Shire Library. Oxford: Shire Publications. p. 115. ISBN   978-0-7478-0798-8.
  3. ↑ Baker, Margaret (2002). Discovering London statues and monuments. Discovering series (5. ed., revised and updated ed.). Princes Risborough: Shire Publications. p. 54. ISBN   978-0-7478-0495-6.
  4. ↑ Darke, Jo (1991). The monument guide to England and Wales: a national portrait in bronze and stone. London: Macdonald Illustrated. p. 35. ISBN   978-0-356-17609-3.
  5. ↑ Blackwood, John; Irwin, Caroline, eds. (1989). London's immortals: the complete outdoor commemorative statues (1. publ ed.). London: Savoy Press. p. 298. ISBN   978-0-9514296-0-0.
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