The Peace Statue (Monument to Edward VII)
James Gray: These three photographs [jgc_11_154,155 and 156] need no special commentary; the scene is well known, and the facts are explained by the wording on the photographs. Sculpture by N A Trent. jgc_11_154
2018: King Edward VII, a regular and popular visitor to Brighton and Hove, died in 1910. Just two years later local residents had raised the funds to build both a statue and a home for nurses in his memory. Here are two south-facing views of the Edward VII Monument, by sculptor Newbury Trent, which was erected on the seafront boundary of Brighton and Hove in 1912 and soon known universally as the Peace Statue. The building which housed the Queen’s Nurses (forerunners of today’s District Nurses) can still be seen at 12-14 Wellington Road, off Elm Grove in Brighton, but has now been converted into flats. The low protective railings round the statue were added in 1913. The Meeting Place Cafe is visible in the 2018 photo, as are the remains of the West Pier. The statue is listed Grade II. (Photographer: Alison Minns)
James Gray: See caption for jgc_11_154 above. jgc_11_155
2018: The Peace Statue, showing the Hove coat of arms on the west face and the bronze plaque on the south face, which reads ‘In the year 1912 the inhabitants of Brighton and Hove provided a home for the Queen’s Nurses and erected this monument in memory of King Edward VII and as a testimony of their enduring loyalty.’ The east face bears the Brighton motto In Deo Fidemus. On the north face is a bronze portrait profile of the King on a plaque inscribed ‘Edward VII 1901-1910’. (Photographer: Alison Minns)
James Gray: See caption for jgc_11_154 above. jgc_11_156
2018: In the James Gray image a large crowd is attending the unveiling ceremony on 12 October 1912. The Brighton bandstand and the West Pier can both be seen in the background. In the 2018 image the British Airways i360 is visible, as are bollards marking the boundary between Brighton and Hove. The Victorian lamp standard has been replaced with a modern design. The Mercure Hotel (formerly Norfolk Hotel and Ramada Jarvis Hotel) and the Holiday Inn are also visible. (Photographer: Alison Minns)
James Gray: Three photographs of the Lawns, with nothing particular about which to comment. They are all of the period between 1910 and 1914. jgc_11_157.
2018: Facing west across Hove Lawns a seafront shelter can be seen on the left of the 2018 image and the bulky 1930s apartment block Courtney Gate is visible in the distance. The other images mentioned by James Gray can be found on the Hove Seafront (3) page (jgc_11_158) and Kingsway (1) page (jgc_11_159). (Photographer: Alison Minns)