Albert Memorial

The Albert Memorial is situated in Kensington Gardens in London, England, opposite the Royal Albert Hall.

History

The Albert Memorial was commissioned by Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland in memory of her beloved husband Albert of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha, who had died of typhoid in 1861, in order. It was built by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the years of 1864-1875 in neo-gothic style. Has been mainly financed by donations of the UK population.

The Albert Memorial consists of a nearly 60 -meter-high, supported by four pillars canopy, under which the four-meter- high statue of Albert seated. In his hand he holds the catalog for the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, the first World's Fair, which was held in London in 1851. Prince Albert had been, in the run as President of the Society of Arts a big advocate of the idea of the Great Exhibition which eventually took place at the neighboring Hyde Park. From the proceeds of the Great Exhibition of the many museums were built in South Kensington, overlooking the statue of Albert today.

To the base of the memorial runs a marble frieze bearing the presentation in life-size of 169 composers, architects, poets, painters and sculptors. The Memorial is flanked represent at the base of the columns of four groups, agriculture, commerce, engineering and fabrication. Four other groups that are located at the foot of the stairs, on which the Memorial stands, represent the four continents Europe, Asia, Africa and America dar. Each of the four groups consisting of several ethnographic figures and a for the continent typical, large animal. The sculptures were headed by Henry Hugh Armstead with some artists of the Royal Academy, including William Theed and Hamo Thornycroft produced.

End of the 20th century, the Memorial was restored from the ground up. It was also the cross that crowns the canopy and had been taken in a previous restoration attempt, brought back to its original place. In this restoration, the entire gold leaf covering the memorial was renewed. Also the statue of Albert was re- gilded. She had her gilding, probably lost due to the high air pollution, at the beginning of the 20th century and was then painted black.