VICTORIA MEMORIAL

VICTORIA MEMORIAL The Victoria Memorial is located in the city of Kolkata in West Bengal. It was constructed during the British Empire in the memory of Queen Victoria. The foundation stone of the Memorial was laid down by the ‘Prince of Wales’ in 1906. It was opened to the general public on 21st December, 1921 by the Duke of Windsor. There is a beautiful black bronze Angel of Victory holding a bugle in her hand situated at the top of the dome of the Memorial. It is mounted in large ball bearings and rotates with the wind. The Victoria Memorial, Kolkata was designed by Sir William Emerson. It represents a blend of Mughal and European architectural styles.

The Victoria Memorial was constructed by Messrs Martin & Co The Victoria Memorial was constructed by Messrs Martin & Co. of Calcutta and the expenditure incurred was more than Rupees 1,50,000,000. The memorial is massive in its size and stands enclosed within blooming gardens that spread over to an area of 64 acres. Presently, the Victoria Memorial houses a museum, where you can see the memorabilia of Victoria, paintings of the era of British rule and other exhibits like weapons, maps, coins, stamps and textiles of those times.

SIR. WILLIAM EMERSION Sir William Emerson, President of the British Institute of Architects, designed and drew up the plan of this building, while the work of construction was entrusted to Messrs. Martin & Co. of Calcutta. Vincent Esch was assigned to supervise the construction.

The Plan as designed by Sir W.Emerson ARCHITECTURE The Plan as designed by Sir W.Emerson   Vincent Esch surveying the allegorical sculptures in Italy for the centrepiece above the main entrance.

The making of angel on the dome in Italy. The Angel of Victory is 16ft    The making of angel on the dome in Italy. The Angel of Victory is 16ft high and weighs 3 tons.

Construction of the Memorial in January 1913.    Construction of the Memorial in January 1913.

The five cranes used for the construction of the Victoria Memorial.   The five cranes used for the construction of the Victoria Memorial. Photo on 3rd Jan 1913 from the album of Vincent Esch, courtesy Vivian Esch.

Connstruction as on 19th Nov Connstruction as on 19th Nov. 1920, thirteen months before the official opening

VICTORIA MEMORIAL HALL Established 1921 Location Queen's Way, Kolkata,WB, India Type Museum Collection size Nearly 30,000 rupees (31 March 2009) The Victoria Memorial (Victoria Memorial Hall) is a large marble building in Kolkata (Calcutta), west bengal, India which was built between 1906 and 1921. It is dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria (1819–1901) and is now a museum and tourist destination under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. The Memorial lies on the Maidan (grounds) by the bank of the Hooghly river, near Jawaharlal Nehru road.

HISTORY OF VICTORIA MEMORIAL In January 1901, on the death of Queen Victoria, George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston and Viceroy of india, suggested the creation of a fitting memorial. He proposed the construction of a grand building with a museum and gardens. Curzon said, "Let us, therefore, have a building, stately, spacious, monumental and grand, to which every newcomer in Calcutta will turn, to which all the resident population, European and Native, will flock, where all classes will learn the lessons of history, and see revived before their eyes the marvels of the past. Lord Curzon (1859 - 1925), Viceroy of India (1899 - 1905).

The Prince of Wales, later King George V, laid the foundation stone on 4 January 1906 and it was formally opened to the public in 1921. In 1912, before the Victoria Memorial was finished, king george announced the transfer of the capital of India from Calcutta to New Delhi. Thus, the Victoria Memorial was built in what would be a provincial city rather than a capital Queen Victoria

Finance Illumination. The Victoria Memorial was funded by many Indian states, individuals of the British Raj and the British government in London. The princes and people of India responded generously to Curzon's appeal for funds and the total cost of construction of this monument amounting to one crore, five lakhs of rupees, was entirely derived from their voluntary subscriptions

Design Emerson was a pupil of William Burges and an architectural theorist. He first visited India in about 1860. Emerson designed the Crawford Market, Mumbai (1865); the All Saints Cathedral, Allahabad (1871); and Muir College (1873) Emerson moved to the princely state of Bhavnagar, Gujrat and designed the Takhtsingji Hospital and the Nilambagh Palace.. The Victoria Memorial's architect was William Emerson (1843–1924), president of the Royal Institute of British Architects. The design is in the Indo-Saracenic revivalist style. This style uses a mixture of British and Mughal elements as well as Venetian, Egyptian, Deccani and Islamic architectural influences. The building is 338 feet (103 m) by 228 feet (69 m) and rises to a height of 184 feet (56 m). It is constructed of white Makrana marble.

Vincent J. Esch In 1899, Esch was appointed assistant engineer at the Bengal Nagpur Railway, a job which gave him much practical experience in large-scale construction and costings. In 1902, Emerson engaged Esch to sketch his original design for the Victoria Memorial. After designing the temporary exhibition building for the Delhi Durbar of 1903, Curzon found Esch to be a suitable assistant for Emerson. Esch had also won a competition to design the Bengal Club building at Chowringhee and the Bengal-Napur Railway head office building at Garden Reach.

External decorative features Motherhood. Atop the central dome of the Victoria Memorial is the 16 ft (4.9 m) figure of the Angel of Victory. Surrounding the dome are allegorical sculptures including Art, Architecture, Justice, and Charity and above the North Porch are Motherhood, Prudence and Learning. Taj Mahal Emerson may not have taken, literally, from the Taj Mahal but there is a reminiscence. Like the Taj Mahal, the Victoria Memorial is built of white Makrana marble and is a memorial to an empress. In design, it echos the Taj Mahal with its dome, four subsidiaries, octagonal domed chattris, high portals, terrace, and domed corner towers.

Victoria Memorial Picture Gallery Sunset. Morning, winter day. Main entrance. Sunny day. Illumination. Dusk. Facade. The South side

Statue of Andrew H. L. FraserLt. Governor of Bengal 1903 - 1908. Statue of Lord Curzon. Lakes. Gardens. Statue of Andrew H. L. FraserLt. Governor of Bengal 1903 - 1908. Horse carriages. Lion. Reflecting pool.