Figures on War Memorials

[michaeldr]

Jas,

If you use the link which I provided previously you will see that there is there a further link to a close-up photograph of two of the three figures. It shows the capped airman and a back-left-quarter view of the sailor, both with reversed rifles.

To return to John’s earlier remark about the costs; it seems that Roger Hedley was a local [North-east England] artist who in 1921 would have been in his early thirties and perhaps this in part explains what looks to have been a particularly economical project.

Regards

Michael D.R.

[joe]

I don't know if this is any good, but there's an excellent book by Alex King called "Memorials of the Great War in Britain."

It discusses the politics and symbolism of local memorials around the UK and has a lot of first hand source material and pictures.

You can buy it from amazon uk, but I haven't seen in it any of the high street book shops.

I hope this is useful.

Joe

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Not forgetting the Royal Fusiliers Memorial with its fine Bronze Bayonet Fixed Lee~Enfield Carrying Fusilier in Action pose in the centre of the Road @ London's East End Boundary,I always used to look forward to seeing him as we drove through the City towards the Blackwall Tunnel @ night on our way to Bracklesham Bay for Summer Holidays!He was a Magical sight for me

[Clive Maier]

Is there any evidence that sculptors or monumental masons waived or discounted their fees for Great War memorial work?

There is evidence that professionals in this field were very concerned to discourage amateurs from designing memorials. The objection was ostensibly made on fine art grounds but the suspicion lingers that that the real motive was protection of trade.

While researching the memorial at Southborough, Kent, I found quite trivial charges had been made for services connected with the WWII rededication. The council paid a small sum for the use of a hymn and another rather larger sum for the hire of loudspeaker equipment. One might in retrospect have expected such services to have been donated, but apparently that was not so.