8 July

ARCHIVE

Hamo Thornycroft archive

Photograph showing the pedestal for the King Alfred statue at Winchester being moved, 1901

h 9.5, w 12.0 cm Bequeathed by Mrs Elfrida Manning, 1987

There is a wonderful series of photographs of the moving and placing
of the pedestal for the king Alfred statue in Winchester. The mayor
of Winchester who got the funds together for the statue wanted the
statue to be so big that when people would fly by in the express they
would still be able to see it. Since the cathedral could hardly be
seen under those conditions it was decided that twice life size would
have to do. Because the statue was so big it needed a sizeable
pedestal. The story goes that sugar bags were used and later melted
down with water to get the pedestal up-ended. The photographs show
wedges being used so perhaps the sugar bags were put in place to slow
down the fall onto its end. Unfortunately not everything went as
planned. When the statue was half way up the pedestal two ropes broke
and King Alfred came crashing down onto the hoarding. Luckily not
much damage was done, just a crack in Alfred's nose.

emaddress: szetoh@hotmail.com

name: Henry Szeto

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