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Statue of Queen Victoria
73 A photograph showing the statue of Queen Victoria at the junction of Union Street and St. Nicholas Street. The building in the background is the Clydesdale Bank that stands next to M&S today. This fine Italian renaissance style building was originally constructed for the Town and County Bank and opened for business in May 1863.
The statue of Queen Victoria was made from marble and was sculpted by Banff born Alexander Brodie (c.1829 - 1867). The origin of this statue is closely related to another Aberdeen monument, the 1863 memorial statue of Prince Albert by Baron Marochetti, now standing, or rather sitting, in the area in front of the Central Library.
Marochetti's statue was augurated by Queen Victoria herself on 13th October 1863 and this was said to the first time the Queen had appeared at a public demonstration following the death of Albert in 1861. The Marochetti statue was the subject of great local controversy and there were various plans for an alternative, superior, memorial to the late Prince Consort. It was at a related meeting that a chap called Alexander Donald, from the Royal Tradesman of Aberdeen, moved "That a colossal statue in marble, of Her Majesty, be erected at the corner of St. Nicholas Street."
The endeavour was taken on by a variety of prominent citizens and funding was raised by public subscription. Brodie, the selected sculptor, worked on an 11-ton block of Sicilian marble for two years to complete the statue. The finished piece is 8 foot 6 inches in height and, at the request of Queen herself, depicts Victoria in Scottish regal attire. The statue stands on a substantial plinth of pink Peterhead granite.
The statue was unveiled and inaugurated on 20th September 1866 by Albert-Edward Prince of Wales, later to be King Edward VII and the subject of another of Aberdeen's notable statues. During his speech at the ceremony, the Prince said "Gentlemen, it has afforded me the greatest satisfaction to attend here today, by the wish of Her Majesty, and at your invitation, for the purpose of inaugurating a statue of the Queen, my dear mother. Her Majesty has desired me to express to you how much she appreciates the motives which have led the people of Aberdeenshire to give this lasting evidence of their attachment and loyalty to her person, of which she has so many proofs, and whose sympathy in her great sorrow has touched her so deeply."
During his visit, the Prince of Wales also received the Freedom of the City and attended the Royal Horticultural Society's Autumn Show, which was then going on in the Music Hall. An extensive account of the unveiling, the Royal visit and the town's celebrations is given in the Aberdeen Journal of 26th September 1866.
After some time at this location, the statue's marble began to show weathering due to the frost and so it was moved to the vestibule of the Town House in 1888, where it remains to this day. It stands at the foot of the building's splendid main stairway. The plaster model of Brodie's statue has also been on display in the Music Hall for many years.
A new bronze statue of an older Victoria, by sculptor Charles Bell Birch, was erected at the St. Nicholas Street location on 9th November 1893 and "the Queen" became a regular meeting place for generations of Aberdonians. To make way for the extension of Marks & Spencer, the 1893 statue moved to its current site at Queen's Cross on 22nd January 1964. Victoria now stands looking east towards Balmoral. Union Terrace
86 Union Terrace at the junction with Union Street. The imposing building on the left is the Northern Assurance Building (Commercial Union Assurance), designed by A. Marshall Mackenzie and known locally as "The Monkey House". The statue of Prince Albert was relocated to the other end of Union Terrace to make space for the new statue of King Edward VII in 1914. Union Terrace
222 Union Terrace, with statue of King Edward VII which was erected in 1914, after the statue of Prince Albert was re-located to the other end of Union Terrace. Union Terrace and Gardens, with the statue of King Edward VII
260 Union Terrace and Gardens with the statue of King Edward VII Union Terrace decorated for coronation of King Edward VII
778 The corner of Union Terrace decorated to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. Robert Gordon's College
780 The gateway to Robert Gordon's College, Schoolhill decorated for the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. Union Terrace Gardens
797 Union Terrace Gardens from the corner of Union Terrace and Union Street. The Denburn valley and the spires of the Triple Kirks at the left and Belmont Congregational Church, with the statue of Prince Albert in the foreground. This statue was moved to the other end of Union Terrace and the site is now occupied by the statue of King Edward VII. King Edward VII statue
1109 Statue of King Edward VII at the junction of Union Terrace and Union Street. King Edward VII statue
1147 Installation of the statue of King Edward VII at the corner of Union Terrace and Union Street in 1914. The monument, in granite and bronze, is by Alfred Drury and was unveiled on 31st October 1914. The equipment required to lift the heavy granite blocks was less sophisticated than that used today. As can be seen, the mechanical crane and hoist, together with a large number of labourers, achieved the same objective. In the background can be seen the steeple of St. Nicholas Church and Belmont Street on the other side of the Denburn. King Edward Statue Unveiling
2709 An Adelphi Series postcard showing the public unveiling of the statue of King Edward VII at the corner of Union Bridge and Union Terrace in October 1914.
A large crowd assembled for the event despite inclement weather. The statue, which was funded by public subscription, was designed by Alfred Drury and unveiled by Lord Bryce. It replaced a statue of Prince Albert that was moved to the area in front of the Central Library at the other end of Union Terrace.
Aberdeen Local Studies hold two copies of this postcard. In reference to the statue, someone has written on the rear of one: "Very nice. If you saw it you would say they could cut anything in granite".
The other postcard appears to have the latter part of a longer message dating from the First World War period. It is addressed to Camille Briendo at Châtéau de Nantes and reads "I hope I shall be accepted but as I am slightly short-sighted, I may be rejected. Perhaps I shall see you before this war is over. As soon as I know, I shall write you. As long as I am here I shall".
Also of interest in the postcard's image is a large sign for James Bannochie & Sons at their premises at 19 Belmont Street. They were a well established firm of plasterers and tilers in Aberdeen. James Bannochie died aged 70 on 29 June 1909.
The roof of the building at 49 Belmont Street, then known as the Trades Hall, and what would eventually become the Belmont Cinema, is painted to read "Coliseum". The Coliseum Cinema was opened on 22 August 1910 and was run by Messers Walker and Company. Statue of King Edward VII
2714 An Adelphi Real Photography Series postcard (no. 314) showing the statue of King Edward VII by Alfred Drury, presumably shortly before its installation at the corner of Union Terrace and Union Street in 1914. Esslemont & Macintosh
3136 Esslemont & Macintosh on Union Street, decorated for the royal visit of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra to open the Marischal College extensions on 27 September 1906.
The building on the right of this image, then the corner of Union Street and Broad Street, was sold to Aberdeen Town Council in 1927. It was purchased to enable the widening of Broad Street, but was not demolished until around 1970. |