London, UK – Statue of Queen Anne; Gloucester, MA – The Fishermen’s Memorial
Title
London, UK – Statue of Queen Anne; Gloucester, MA – The Fishermen’s Memorial
Catalog Entry
The statue of Queen Anne at St. Paul's Cathedral in London was built in commemoration for the completion of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1712. St. Paul’s Cathedral had been affected by the Great Fire of London in 1666, and it was during Queen Anne's reign that the cathedral was rebuilt. The project was completed in 1710, and the statue of Queen Anne was erected in 1712. The statue that stands today is not the original, but a replica that replaced the original in 1885. The statue depicts Queen Anne at the top and four women at the base. Each of the four women represents one of the territories Queen Anne ruled over during her reign, which were England, France, North America, and Ireland. The woman that represents Britain wears the armor of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, showing the acceptance of Rome’s occupancy of Britain in the past. She also holds a trident which demonstrates that anything, including the sea, could not contain Britain's power at the time. They had a powerful, developing navy which allowed for an even greater ability in warfare than they already had.
The Fisherman’s Memorial at the Gloucester Harbor in Gloucester, Massachusetts commemorates fishermen who have been lost at sea through the years. The statue at the memorial is also called “Man at the Wheel” as it depicts a fisherman holding the helm of a ship. The memorial is not only a tribute to the dead but also a reminder of how dangerous the occupation is. Contained within this memorial is a time capsule that contains forty-seven items that capture the culture and history of Gloucester in 1923 when the statue was commissioned. The inclusion of the time capsule emphasizes the importance of legacy to the individuals who commissioned the project. The statue also became a symbol of Gloucester’s Gorton Fisheries in 1904, demonstrating the pride citizens of Gloucester express for the courage of the fishermen. There are even well-known names on the register of the memorial like the crew of the “Andrea Gail,” which is the ship that is the epicenter of the novel The Perfect Storm.
Like the statue of Queen Anne, the Fishermen’s Memorial illustrates the location’s connection to the sea and the importance it had to the society that the statue belongs to. Queen Anne reigned during a time of significant developments in the English navy which was influenced by Britain's increased concern with its political climate. The English navy would later become the Royal Navy and played a major role in many of the wars that Britain would participate in through the years. The Fishermen's Memorial is an acknowledgment of the dedication and sacrifice of not only the fishermen but their families, as well. A memorial for fishermen's wives has been added to the area of the Fishermen's memorial, and the name register has opened up to include women and children and fatalities not only occurring at sea, but those that have occurred in harbors, rivers, and lakes alike.
The Fisherman’s Memorial at the Gloucester Harbor in Gloucester, Massachusetts commemorates fishermen who have been lost at sea through the years. The statue at the memorial is also called “Man at the Wheel” as it depicts a fisherman holding the helm of a ship. The memorial is not only a tribute to the dead but also a reminder of how dangerous the occupation is. Contained within this memorial is a time capsule that contains forty-seven items that capture the culture and history of Gloucester in 1923 when the statue was commissioned. The inclusion of the time capsule emphasizes the importance of legacy to the individuals who commissioned the project. The statue also became a symbol of Gloucester’s Gorton Fisheries in 1904, demonstrating the pride citizens of Gloucester express for the courage of the fishermen. There are even well-known names on the register of the memorial like the crew of the “Andrea Gail,” which is the ship that is the epicenter of the novel The Perfect Storm.
Like the statue of Queen Anne, the Fishermen’s Memorial illustrates the location’s connection to the sea and the importance it had to the society that the statue belongs to. Queen Anne reigned during a time of significant developments in the English navy which was influenced by Britain's increased concern with its political climate. The English navy would later become the Royal Navy and played a major role in many of the wars that Britain would participate in through the years. The Fishermen's Memorial is an acknowledgment of the dedication and sacrifice of not only the fishermen but their families, as well. A memorial for fishermen's wives has been added to the area of the Fishermen's memorial, and the name register has opened up to include women and children and fatalities not only occurring at sea, but those that have occurred in harbors, rivers, and lakes alike.
Bibliography
Carlsen, Carl. “The Fishermen’s Memorial and the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial (Gloucester
Harbor): Location, History, and Legends.” Poetry of Places in Essex County, North Shore Community College, myweb.northshore.edu/users/ccarlsen/poetry/gloucester/memorialshistory.htm Accessed 2 May 2018.
Meeke, Kieran. “The Statue of Queen Anne at St. Paul’s.” Secret London, 26 March 2010,
secret-cities.com/2010/03/26/the-statue-of-queen-anne-at-st-pauls/
Winterhaze13. “The English Navy 1649-1815.” All Empires, July 2006,
www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=english_navy_1649-1815
Research Assistant(s)
Mel Ellis, Student, Fitchburg State University
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Collection
Citation
“London, UK – Statue of Queen Anne; Gloucester, MA – The Fishermen’s Memorial,” Cultural Heritage through Image, accessed April 26, 2024, https://culturalheritagethroughimage.omeka.net/items/show/38.