United Kingdom

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Greater London

Royal Exchange Buildings (EC3)
(Royal Exchange, tower)

The Gresham Grasshopper


16th century?

London /  The Gresham Grasshopper   London /  The Gresham Grasshopper

Description

The Royal Exchange building, designed by William Tite, consists of a four-sided structure surrounding a central courtyard where merchants and tradesmen could do business. It features pediment sculptures by Richard Westmacott (the younger), and ornamental cast ironwork by Henry Grissell's Regent's Canal Ironworks. It was opened by Queen Victoria on 28 October 1844, though trading did not commence until 1 January 1845.
The gilded weathervane atop the campanile at the east end of the building is a grasshopper. For sculptures on the Royal Exchange, see also the Pediment and statues of merchants.

Annotation

The grasshopper is the crest above Gresham's coat of arms. This insect has sat on successive iterations of the Royal Exchange since around 1565 when the Exchange was first built. The original building was destroyed in the Great Fire of London (1666) but the grasshopper survived.

London - The Gresham Grasshopper

Sources & Information

Tags

Locatie (N 51°30'49" - W 0°5'12") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: gblo162; Photograph: 8 August 2014
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
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© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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