Statue of General Gordon facts for kids

The statue of General Gordon on its lower base in London

This bronze statue shows General Charles George Gordon. It was made by a sculptor named Hamo Thornycroft. You can find it in the Victoria Embankment Gardens in London, standing on a stone base. This statue has been a protected historical item since 1970. There's another very similar statue in Melbourne, Australia, near their Parliament House. That one still has its original tall base.

There are other statues of General Gordon too. One shows him riding a camel at Brompton Barracks in Chatham. Another camel statue used to be in Khartoum but is now at Gordon's School near Woking. You can also find statues of him in Aberdeen, Gravesham, and a special monument in Southampton.

Who Was General Gordon?

Major-General Gordon was seen as a great British hero after he died in January 1885. This happened at the end of the Siege of Khartoum, a big battle. The statue was created a few years later, between 1887 and 1888. Gordon's brother, Sir Henry Gordon, told the sculptor to focus less on his military side. Instead, he wanted the statue to show Gordon's strong mind, kindness, and loving nature.

The first London statue was put up in Trafalgar Square on October 16, 1888. There wasn't a big ceremony. It stood on a very tall base, about 18 feet high, between two fountains. In 1943, the statue was moved away from Trafalgar Square. It went to a place called Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire.

In 1948, Winston Churchill, who was a famous leader, said the statue should go back to its original spot. But it was put in a new place in 1953. It now stands on a shorter base on the Victoria Embankment. This is about half a mile southeast of its old spot, near the Ministry of Defence building and the River Thames.

What Does the London Statue Look Like?

This statue is bigger than a real person. It shows General Charles George Gordon in his army uniform. He is holding a walking stick and a bible. His head is resting on his raised right hand, and his left foot is on a broken cannon.

The base of the statue is made of Portland stone. It has words carved into it and two bronze plates, one on each side. The main words on the front of the stone base say: "CHARLES G. GORDON C.B. / MAJOR-GEN. ROYAL ENGINEERS // KILLED AT KHARTOUM / XXVI JANUARY / MDCCCLXXXV". This tells us his name, rank, and when he died in Khartoum.

Other words on the stone base list places where he served. These include the Crimean War; Kunshan ("Quinsan") and Suzhou ("Soochow") in China; Gravesend where he built defenses; and in Equatoria (southern Sudan), Sudan ("Soudan"), and Khartoum.

The bronze plates on the sides of the base show pairs of figures. These figures represent important ideas. One side has "FORTITUDE" (meaning strength and courage) with a shield and sword, next to "FAITH" (belief). The other side shows "CHARITY" (kindness, with two children) next to "JUSTICE" (fairness, blindfolded, with scales and a sword). The shield of Fortitude says: "RIGHT / FEARS NO / MIGHT".

Other Statues of General Gordon

An exact copy of the London statue was put up in 1889 in Melbourne, Australia. It's in Gordon Reserve, facing the Old Treasury Building. This statue still stands on its original tall base, which shows scenes from Gordon's life.

Another type of statue, made by Edward Onslow Ford, shows Gordon riding a camel. This one is at Brompton Barracks in Chatham, which is a military engineering school. A second copy of Ford's camel statue was in Khartoum from 1904 to 1958. After Sudan became independent, this statue was moved. It was reinstalled at Gordon's School near Woking in 1959.

You can find more statues of General Gordon in other places. There's one in Aberdeen and another in Gravesham. The Gravesham statue is made of stone and shows him in his army uniform with a sword. There's also a special monument to him in Southampton.

Images for kids

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  Statue of General Gordon on the Victoria Embankment in London

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  London statue between the fountains in Trafalgar Square, 1890

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  Statue of General Gordon in Melbourne, Australia

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  Statue at Brompton Barracks, around 1900

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  Statue at Gordon's School, near Chobham, Surrey

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  Statue in Khartoum, 1906

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  Statue outside Robert Gordon's school, Aberdeen

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  Memorial to Gordon, Southampton