Statue

Joseph Priestley statue

Erection date: 1915

Inscription

{On the stone beneath his feet:}
Joseph Priestley
{On either side of this stone, below the arch:}
1733 1804

The thinker in a cubby-hole effect is enhanced by being shrouded in netting (to keep the pigeons off).

August 2017: A letter in The Guardian bemoans the lack of a London statue to Priestley. Is all our work in vain?

Site: Joseph Priestley statue (1 memorial)

WC1, Russell Square, 30

The statue is above a door in a side façade of the building, built in 1915 by Sir John Burnet as the Royal Institute of Chemistry, which now belongs to the University of London. On a window arch to the right of the statue is inscribed: 'Founded 1877:' and round the corner, facing the Square two more window arches are inscribed: 'Incorporated 1885', 'By Royal Charter'.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Joseph Priestley statue

Subjects commemorated i

Joseph Priestley

Born at Fieldhead, in the parish of Birstal, not far from Leeds, Yorkshire. E...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Joseph Priestley statue

Created by i

Gilbert Bayes

Born 6 Oval Road, Camden Town. Also did the bronze group with clock at the en...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Mary Seacole steel statue

Mary Seacole steel statue

W2, St Mary's Terrrace

At the southern end of St Mary’s Terrace, beside the bike track, these statues are extremely difficult to photograph, Turing in particula...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Marshal Ferdinand Foch

Marshal Ferdinand Foch

SW1, Buckingham Palace Road, Lower Grosvenor Gardens

The statue is a copy of one at Cassel, France. It was given by France and unveiled by the then Prince of Wales, who can be seen doing exa...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Colonial Office - S05 - Bulwer Lytton

Colonial Office - S05 - Bulwer Lytton

SW1, Whitehall, Foreign Office

Statues Hither and Thither has been invaluable in identifying some of the busts and most of the statues. The statues are not labelled and...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Hotel Russell - Queen Mary II

Hotel Russell - Queen Mary II

WC1, Russell Square, 1-8

This ornate extravaganza, designed by the splendidly named Fitzroy Doll, was built in 1898. Ornamental Passions has a good post about the...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Robert Milligan statue

Robert Milligan statue

E14, West India Quay

This statue used to be at the main gate but was removed in 1943, presumably to avoid bomb damage. Reinstated here in 1997 by the Dockland...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator