Statue of Edward Jenner, Bronze memorial in Kensington Gardens, London, England.
The Statue of Edward Jenner is a seated bronze figure holding papers, positioned on a Portland stone plinth inscribed with his surname. The base incorporates Aberdeen granite and the entire work is protected as a Grade II listed building.
The monument was originally erected in Trafalgar Square in 1858 before being relocated to Kensington Gardens in 1862. The move followed discussions about the most suitable location for honoring this medical pioneer.
The monument honors Edward Jenner's development of the smallpox vaccine, which transformed how people approach disease prevention worldwide. Visitors encounter a space that commemorates a moment reshaping medical practice across generations.
The monument sits within the Italian Garden section of Kensington Gardens, a publicly accessible area with pathways and green spaces. The location is straightforward to reach on foot and provides a quiet spot to pause and observe.
The monument was funded by international donations, with British citizens contributing surprisingly little and leaving sculptor William Calder Marshall facing financial hardship. This irony highlights how one of humanity's greatest medical achievements received limited local support.
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