Queen Victoria. Sir Thomas Brock, K.C.B., R.A. 1847-1922. 1903. Marble. City Hall, Belfast
Victoria's bronze supporters on the plinth represent the city's chief industries at the turn of the century, shipbuilding and weaving. This statue in front of City Hall was unveiled by King Edward VII upon his first royal visit to Belfast on 27 July 1903, and "according to a barely credible account in the Belfast News Letter, he looked back over his shoulder at his Mamma as the carriage was receding after the ceremony, and exclaimed 'Couldn't be better!'" (cited in Brett, p. 55). — Philip V. Allingham
Left: Child reading (at the rear of the statue, facing City Hall) and a figure representing weaving or textiles. Right: The male figure symbolizing shipbuilding.
Left: Child reading, Right: Three figrues — child reading, shipbuilding, and weaving — seen from the back of the memorial.
Related material, including other works by Brock in Belfast
- Queen Victoria, Calcutta (Kolkata), India
- Queen Victoria, Hove (4 views)
- Queen Victoria, originally Cawnpore, India
- Queen Victoria, Lucknow
- Queen Victoria, Birmingham
- The Victoria Memorial, London (24 views)
- The Titanic Memorial
- City Hall
All photographs 2016 by George P. Landow (except silhouette in second row above by Philip V. Allingham 2006). 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.]
Last modified 7 September 2016