Statue of George Peabody, Statue in the City of London, United Kingdom
The Statue of George Peabody is a bronze sculpture in the City of London. It shows a seated man in a long coat and waistcoat, resting his right hand on his knee and his left hand on the arm of the chair, all set on a polished reddish-brown stone pedestal with angled corners that sits on a lighter grey stepped base.
The statue was made by American sculptor William Wetmore Story and unveiled in 1869, the same year Peabody died. It was paid for by public donations, many from working people who had benefited from his housing projects.
The monument is a tribute to a man who gave generously to London's poor, and the inscription on the pedestal still names him as a benefactor of the city. People often stop to read the plaque, which lists his birth and death dates and the honors he received.
The statue stands in a pedestrian area behind the Royal Exchange, so you can walk right up to it without dealing with traffic. The ground is paved and level, making it easy to approach and circle around the pedestal.
The pedestal stands on an octagonal drain that once belonged to a drinking fountain called La Maternité. A replica of the statue was installed in Baltimore in 1890, and the original was listed as a protected building in 1972.
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