Bust

Temple Bar memorial - Homer

Inscription

Homer {in ancient Greek lettering}

Site: Temple Bar memorial (9 memorials)

EC4, Fleet Street

This is the site of the 17th century Temple Bar entrance to the City of London. Having become an obstruction to circulation it was removed in 1879 and this monument unveiled in 1881, as a memorial to the old Temple Bar and as a marker for the entrance to the City at the point where it was traditional for the Lord Mayor to welcome royal visitors to the City.

This is a typically overwrought late Victorian edifice, topped with a giant griffin (or dragon; there are competing definitions of the differences) by Charles Birch. The north and south sides hold large statues of Queen Victoria and, the soon to be, Edward VII. To east and west are medallion portraits of the Lord Mayor at the time, Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott, and Prince Albert Victor, the King we never had. At the bottom of the west face gilt lettering carved into the granite base announces "City of London".

Each side holds a bronze relief plaque, one of which states that the monument is aligned exactly with the west side the old Temple Bar and specifies the north-south displacement - a good example of Victorian flamboyance married to technical confidence. A carved pillar is placed at each corner, decorated with symbols for arts, science, peace and war.  Arts includes two busts: to the north Homer and to the south Chaucer.

We have treated many of these features as separate memorials and give more details of each one on its own page. Ornamental Passions has a very good post on this edifice.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Temple Bar memorial - Homer

Subjects commemorated i

Homer

Ancient Greek poet. Wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, which date from somewhe...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Temple Bar memorial - Homer

Also at this site i

Temple Bar memorial

Temple Bar memorial

{On the frieze at the top of the monument, above the columns, text runs aroun...

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Temple Bar memorial - Edward VII

Temple Bar memorial - Edward VII

The niche on the north face holds a marble statue of the Prince of Wales, lat...

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Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

Temple Bar memorial - Prince Albert Victor

The west face is framed with pilasters each side, decorated with emblems of "...

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Temple Bar memorial - Prince of Wales's typhoid recovery

Temple Bar memorial - Prince of Wales's typhoid recovery

{On the north face, below the statue there is a bronze relief showing Victori...

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Nearby Memorials

Bermondsey Library - 1 - Homer

Bermondsey Library - 1 - Homer

SE16, Spa Road, Old Bermondsey Library / Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist centre

We would not describe this face as ugly so it can't be Socrates. We reckon it's Homer - he's often shown with a beanie hat.

1 subject commemorated
Victoria - W1

Victoria - W1

W1, Mount Street, 122/3

{On a masonry shield just below Victoria's bust:} Jubilee 1837

1 subject commemorated
Grosvenor Hotel - head 01

Grosvenor Hotel - head 01

SW1, Buckingham Palace Road, Grosvenor Hotel

This 1860 building, by architect James Knowles Snr, is studded with many portrait busts of which we believe only these 14 are representat...

Kensington Library - Caxton

Kensington Library - Caxton

W8, Philimore Walk, Kensington Central Library

The library, by E. Vincent Harris and opened in 1960, is the building to the south, the left of our picture. The Library Time Machine mus...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
National Portrait Gallery - Roubiliac

National Portrait Gallery - Roubiliac

WC2, Charing Cross Road

This building, 1896, designed by Ewan Christian, has 18 busts contained in medallions around the top of the facades. Starting at the east...

1 subject commemorated