BERTRAM MACKENNAL S PARLIAMENTARY WAR MEMORIAL

Transcription

1 BERTRAM MACKENNAL S PARLIAMENTARY WAR MEMORIAL

2 INTRODUCTION The Parliamentary War Memorial is one of a number of war memorials in Parliament. It commemorates Members of both Houses of Parliament who died in the First World War. Designed by the Australian sculptor Bertram Mackennal and unveiled in 922, the memorial stands in St Stephen's Porch at the south end of Westminster Hall. The memorial is dedicated to 45 individuals who consummated with their lives the tradition of public service in the cause of Right & Liberty. Its eight stone panels list 22 MPs and 20 Peers, as well as 9 senior staff members known as Officers of both Houses, and 94 sons of Members and Officers of the House of Commons. The winged figure carved in stone at the centre of the memorial represents a Recording Angel, who in Abrahamic religions are said to record every person s deeds. Two gilt-bronze statuettes symbolise the virtues of Faith and Fortitude. However, the Parliamentary War Memorial has not always appeared as it does today. This booklet explores its turbulent history, during which politics, changing artistic concerns and both world wars all left their mark. FRONT COVER The Parliamentary War Memorial stone and gilt-bronze by Sir (Edgar) Bertram Mackennal, 92/22 (with later alterations) PARLIAMENTARY ART COLLECTION, WOA S220 OPPOSITE PAGE Houses of Parliament, The Memorial pen, pencil and watercolour on paper by Charles Terry Pledge, c.92 THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES, WORK/29/3364 (DETAIL)

3 A MEMORIAL TO MEMBERS Plans for the Parliamentary War Memorial began over a year before the war itself ended when, in July 97, a Joint Committee resolved to erect a memorial to honour the memory of those of our colleagues who had laid down their lives for their country. 2 Proposals were invited from prominent Gothic Revival architect Walter Tapper, and leading sculptors George Frampton and Bertram Mackennal. The Committee described the three resulting designs as beautiful and eminently suitable, but eventually Mackennal s emerged as the winner. Bertram Mackennal (863 93) was one of the most successful sculptors of his generation. Though little known today, his skill and versatility placed him in high demand for important public projects such as the Parliamentary War Memorial. When installed in early 92 the memorial consisted of what today forms only the central section of the structure the Recording Angel, two panels inscribed with the names of the MPs, Peers and Officers of both Houses who died in the war, and the figures of Faith and Fortitude. In addition, a cupola in the shape of a Gothic arch surmounted the memorial. The cupola included bronze statuettes of the patron saints of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Saints Andrew, Patrick and David stood in three niches, while St George formed the cupola s pinnacle. Westminster Hall and St Stephen s Porch ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, 2 February 853 Charles Barry designed St Stephen s Porch to connect Westminster Hall to his new Houses of Parliament. It is shown here shortly after its completion in the 850s. The carved stone screen beneath the great window was later chosen as the location for the Parliamentary War Memorial. PARLIAMENTARY ART COLLECTION, WOA 5275 (DETAIL) 2 Blueprint for the Parliamentary War Memorial by unknown artist, c.920 PARLIAMENTARY ARCHIVES, PWO/20/67 (DETAIL) 3 Installation: The Memorial Panels photograph by unknown artist, 92 PARLIAMENTARY ESTATES DIRECTORATE ARCHIVE, IMG24 4 Installation: The Recording Angel photograph by unknown artist, 92 PARLIAMENTARY ESTATES DIRECTORATE ARCHIVE, IMG25 3 4

4 THE POLITICS OF REMEMBRANCE Soon after the memorial s completion problems with the lists of names were discovered. These included errors in the list of Peers, while the two Officers of the House of Lords killed in the war had been left off altogether. To further complicate matters the Lords were planning to erect their own memorial in the Royal Gallery. This was to include Peers sons killed in the war, highlighting the fact that similar provision had not been made elsewhere for the sons of MPs. To address these and other issues the Committee decided to amend and extend the Parliamentary War Memorial. Bertram Mackennal expressed his regret that it was felt necessary, but nevertheless agreed to supervise the alterations. Six new panels were added to the memorial. These were inscribed with the names of the Officers of the House of Lords and others who had initially been omitted, as well as those of the sons of MPs and Officers of the House of Commons killed in the war. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) unveiled the newly extended memorial in November 922. Praising Mackennal s work as a perpetual memorial of our country s greatest crisis, he dedicated it to the lasting memory and undying fame of those valiant hearts it commemorated. Houses of Parliament, The Memorial pen, pencil and watercolour on paper by Charles Terry Pledge, c.92 To extend the memorial the central mullion of each remaining panel of the Victorian screen was removed and the prominent decoration cut away. Inscribed stone slabs were then inserted. THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES, WORK/29/ The Dedication Ceremony photograph by unknown artist, 922 Among those present at the unveiling were Prime Minister Andrew Bonar Law and former Prime Ministers David Lloyd George and HH Asquith, whose son is named on the memorial. The choir of nearby St Margaret s Church sang hymns during the dedication ceremony. THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES, WORK/236 2

5 A CASUALTY OF WAR In the early hours of 27 September 940 the Parliamentary War Memorial itself became a casualty of war. At 2.0am a high explosive enemy bomb fell in Old Palace Yard. The explosion blew a huge hole in the great window of St Stephen s Porch, sending masonry from the window s tracery raining down on the memorial. The damage was significant. The Recording Angel was decapitated and the cupola with its statues of Saints George, Patrick, Andrew and David was knocked from the memorial. So too were some of the panels, revealing parts of the original Victorian decoration not seen for twenty years. Although no fatalities were reported, the explosion resulted in several injuries and shattered most of the windows in the House of Lords. It was just one of fourteen occasions that the Houses of Parliament were damaged by air raids during the Second World War. For the rest of the war the memorial, the great window and the entire south wall of St Stephen s Porch were shored up and made safe. The detached parts of the memorial were placed into storage, waiting for peace to provide the possibility of reconstruction. Bomb Damage: Old Palace Yard photograph by unknown artist, 940 The bomb left a crater in Old Palace Yard and reportedly lifted the statue of Richard the Lionheart from its pedestal, bending the sword and damaging the horse s rear legs in the process. PARLIAMENTARY ESTATES DIRECTORATE ARCHIVE 2 Bomb Damage: The Recording Angel photograph by unknown artist, 940 The Recording Angel s feet were broken off as a result of the bomb, which also exposed the chisel marks made by the masons during the memorial s installation. PARLIAMENTARY ARCHIVES, PWO/20/67 3 Bomb Damage: The Cupola photograph by unknown artist, 940 The four saint statuettes appear to have survived the bombing practically unscathed, though the same could not be said for the cupola that formerly housed them. From left to right stand St Andrew, St Patrick, St David and St George. PARLIAMENTARY ESTATES DIRECTORATE ARCHIVE, IMG93 3 2

6 THE SCARS OF WAR After the war a new Joint War Memorial Committee was established to commemorate Parliament s Second World War dead. Initially they hoped to achieve this by extensively modifying the Parliamentary War Memorial, but this plan was abandoned. To create a Second World War memorial the Committee focused instead on commissioning a stained glass memorial window to replace the one destroyed in 940. However, the restoration of Mackennal s memorial proved to be less straightforward, especially once they realised that the detached cupola would obscure part of the new window if reinstated. Some Committee members also felt that the Recording Angel should be left in its damaged state as a reminder of the destruction caused during the Second World War. Others believed that it was not in keeping with the severity of Westminster Hall and should be removed altogether. In the end the Committee concluded that the cupola should not be rebuilt. They argued that, as well as obscuring the memorial window, it would be artistically undesirable. However, they did decide to restore the Recording Angel to its former glory. The damaged panels were also reinstated, though they were left to show what the Committee termed their scars of war. Reconstructing the Memorial photograph by unknown artist, c.952 PARLIAMENTARY ARCHIVES, PWO/20/ The Parliamentary War Memorial stone and gilt-bronze by Sir (Edgar) Bertram Mackennal, 92/22 (with later alterations) The final step in achieving the memorial s present appearance came in 957 when the bronze figures of Faith and Fortitude were gilded. This was to make them stand out against John Ninian Comper s ( ) Parliamentary War Memorial Window completed in 952. PARLIAMENTARY ART COLLECTION, WOA S220 3 Saint Andrew bronze by Sir (Edgar) Bertram Mackennal, 92 This figure of St Andrew formerly stood in the central niche of the cupola that surmounted the Parliamentary War Memorial. Today it is part of the Parliamentary Art Collection. The Ministry of Works removed the statuettes of Saints George, Patrick and David. Their current location is unknown. PARLIAMENTARY ART COLLECTION, WOA S303 2

7 Find out more about those commemorated on Parliament s war memorials by visiting Discover more about Parliament s First World War centenary commemorations at Parliament is collaborating with the Imperial War Museum as part of their Lives of the First World War project. Learn more at The Parliamentary Art Collection is owned jointly by the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Explore the Collection online at The Parliamentary War Memorial photograph by Monger & Marchant Ltd, c.922 PARLIAMENTARY ARCHIVES, ARC/VAR/66 (DETAIL) This booklet was prepared by the Palace of Westminster Curator s Office. Unless otherwise stated images are covered by Parliamentary copyright, June 204