Written by Amanda David
Ever been on a statue safari? Eco-friendly and free, they are full of surprises and sightings are guaranteed!
A new book, London’s Statues of Women by Juliet Rix (£16.99 from Safe Haven Books) has three substantial mapped routes, and you can make many more themed or area-specific safaris of your own using the stories, photos and locations of statues in the book.
Meet capital women so often unnoticed on our streets: from 16th/17th-century Queen Elizabeth I (whose statue had to be rescued from a pub basement) to 2023’s Ada Lovelace (computer pioneer and daughter of Lord Byron); from Millicent Fawcett and Florence Nightingale to Twiggy and Amy Winehouse, Queen Charlotte (one for Bridgerton fans) to Wonder Woman, as well as Joy Battick – the first real woman of colour to have a statue in London (interviewed in the book). And now she has two, matched only by Virginia Woolf among non-royals.
Discover London’s first statue of a named non-royal woman – not some wartime worthy, but one of the first modern-style celebrities, actress Sarah Siddons, who had audiences fainting from ‘Siddons fever’. Find Britannias (representative of this country for more than 2000 years), Justices, and a golden Ariel on top of the Bank of England. Hold on…why does he have breasts? (Apparently, the sculptor just couldn’t resist.)
Who was the famous sportswoman who posed nude for the Tower Bridge Girl with a Dolphin, and why is the facade of the National Gallery full of females with a military theme?
Women have long been under-represented on the streets of the capital (a 2021 survey famously said there were more statues of animals than named women) but that is changing – and they are a fascinating crowd, already numerous enough for a whole series of statue safaris.
Organisers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
