London - Albert Memorial

I don't ever remember seeing the Albert Memorial before, which is situated in Kensington Gardens.  It's really beautiful.  It was opened in 1872 and had a major restoration which was completed in 2006.  The memorial was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, and consists of a bronze gilt statue of the Prince Consort by Foley, under a Gothic canopy, and surrounded by four groups of statuary—America by John Bell, Africa by Theed, Asia by Foley, and Europe by Macdowell. There are several smaller groups of statues by Weekes, Calder, Marshall, and Thorneycroft,  Around the basement are a large number of life-sized figures by Birnie Phillip and Armstead.

The base of the monument is made up of three flights of steps, with granite at each corner, on which stands groups of marble, one each representing either Europe, Asia, Africa, Americas.  Each has an animal (bull for Europe, elephant for Asia, Camel for Africa and buffalo for the Americas).  Above the steps there is the seated statue of Prince Albert, which was covered in black paint for over 80 years, and now is a gleaming statue covered in gold leaf.  In this area there are full length portraits or statues of celebrated painters, sculptors, architects, composers, writers etc.  At the four corners of this there are four groups which represent the Victorian industrial arts and sciences (agriculture, commerce, engineering and manufacturing).  There is also an elaborate sculptural Frieze of Parnassus which shows 169 individual composers, architects, poets, painters and sculptors.  The pillars of the central canopy represent Astronomy, Geology, Chemistry and Geometry and Rhetoric, Medicine, Philosophy and Physiology.  There are also eight statues near the top of the canopy's tower of the moral and Christian virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity and Humility, Fortitude, Prudence, Justice and Temperance.  The total height of the memorial is 176 feet.

Here are some of the photos I took: