Leonard Bentley
Victoria Embankment
This is a Raphael Tuck & Sons “Glosso” postcard showing Victoria Embankment looking east from Cleopatra’s Needle. The needle itself is out of sight on the right, it is flanked by two bronze sphinxes. The needle was installed in late 1878 after an eventful journey from Egypt, the sphinxes, bronze tablets and bronze surround were designed and sculpted by the Architectural firm of C.H. & J. Mabey who had offices in Storey’s Gate. The casting of the bronze sphinxes etc was undertaken by the firm of H. Young & Son at the Eccleston Ironworks in Pimlico. The sphinxes were placed on turntables and were originally placed with the head facing away from the needle, when the sphinxes, each weighing seven tons were installed in late 1881, the heads faced towards the needle. The “mistake” was noticed straight away but it was explained that if the heads faced away from the needle the whole structure would not form an equilateral triangle, I don’t understand it either, but the sphinxes remain the wrong way round to this day. The photograph, which has captured a Bow Street Police Constable dates from between 1903 and 1905.
Victoria Embankment
This is a Raphael Tuck & Sons “Glosso” postcard showing Victoria Embankment looking east from Cleopatra’s Needle. The needle itself is out of sight on the right, it is flanked by two bronze sphinxes. The needle was installed in late 1878 after an eventful journey from Egypt, the sphinxes, bronze tablets and bronze surround were designed and sculpted by the Architectural firm of C.H. & J. Mabey who had offices in Storey’s Gate. The casting of the bronze sphinxes etc was undertaken by the firm of H. Young & Son at the Eccleston Ironworks in Pimlico. The sphinxes were placed on turntables and were originally placed with the head facing away from the needle, when the sphinxes, each weighing seven tons were installed in late 1881, the heads faced towards the needle. The “mistake” was noticed straight away but it was explained that if the heads faced away from the needle the whole structure would not form an equilateral triangle, I don’t understand it either, but the sphinxes remain the wrong way round to this day. The photograph, which has captured a Bow Street Police Constable dates from between 1903 and 1905.