A statue of

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

stands near the entrance of the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. It was unveiled on 5 December 1910, having been funded by English actors and actresses and others related to British theatre in a campaign organised by the Irving Memorial Committee. It was installed on land donated by the City of Westminster. The Irving Society hosts a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue on 6 February each year, commemorating the actor's birth. The bronze statue, on a Portland stone pedestal, is by the sculptor

Thomas Brock Sir Thomas Brock (1 March 184722 August 1922) was an English sculptor and medallist, notable for the creation of several large public sculptures and monuments in Britain and abroad in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His mo ...

and is listed at Grade II. The street between the statue and the National Portrait Gallery, formerly Green Street, was renamed Irving Street in the actor's honour in 1939, commemorating the centenary the previous year of Irving's birth in 1838. In 1951 formal gardens were laid out around the statue, with railings bearing the monogram HI, for the

Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" during which people: ...

; these were unveiled by

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

References

External links

* 1910 sculptures 1910 establishments in the United Kingdom Irving, Henry Monuments and memorials in London Outdoor sculptures in London Sculptures by Thomas Brock Irving, Henry {{UK-sculpture-stub