Edward VII,” by Sir William Goscombe John, 1860-1952. 1916; restored 2008. Bronze on a granite pedestal, on the Pier Head, Liverpool — though originally intended to stand on a podium at the south end of St George's Hall (Sharples 72). This sturdy sculpture shows the King seated on horseback in a resolute but relaxed pose, with his horse reined in.
The horse's stance, with arched neck and curved-in tail, is particularly characterful. When the bronze was restored, not only dirt but also layers of protective black and yellow paint and even car primer had to be removed from it (see Sharpe). These bear witness to earlier efforts to preserve the sculpture in its unusually exposed waterfront location. The details of the King's features and his regalia can now be seen more clearly.
In the background can be seen one of the two elegant clock-towers of W. Aubrey Thomas's Royal Liver Building, opened in 1911. Its great copper Liver bird can just be glimpsed at the top.
Related Material
- King's Liverpool Regiment Memorial (also by John)
Photographs and text by Jacqueline Banerjee, 2009 and 2016. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
Bibliography
Sharpe, Laura. Liverpool Daily Post, 18 June 2008. Available offsite here. Web. 15 February 2009.
Sharples, Joseph, with contributions” by Richard Pollard. Liverpool. Pevsner Architectural Guides. New Haven: Yale, 2004.
Lat modified 18 July 2016