Statue of Robert Baden-Powell
The statue, situated by the entrance to Baden-Powell House, Queen's Gate, South Kensington
ArtistDon Potter
Year1960
MediumGranite
SubjectRobert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell
Dimensions3 m (9.8 ft)
LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Coordinates51°29′44″N 0°10′46″W / 51.4955°N 0.1795°W / 51.4955; -0.1795
OwnerThe Scout Association

The Statue of Robert Baden-Powell is a granite carving of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, at Baden-Powell House in Queen's Gate, South Kensington, London, England.[1][2] The statue was created by the English sculptor Don Potter in 1960 and was installed and unveiled in 1961. It now stands in Gilwell Park, the home of Scouting, following the sale of Baden-Powell House in 2021.

Background

The statue is made from Cornish granite,[2] which is rare because granite is a difficult material to work with. At the time (1961), it was the only granite statue in London.[1] Potter had been involved in the Scouting movement and Baden-Powell had been a patron of his, commissioning carved totem poles from him.[3] The statue is a 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall granite sculpture depicting an elderly Baden-Powell, dressed in his Scouting uniform and wearing a cape. Baden-Powell's arms are crossed in front of his waist. His left hand rests upon a walking stick or tree branch; his right hand rests upon his left wrist. His campaign hat is tucked behind his right elbow, the brim held by the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. Below his neckerchief is his Bronze Wolf medal.

The statue was unveiled on 12 July 1961 by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, who was the President of the Scouts. The inscription on the plaque at the sculpture's base reads:

The inscription on the plaque at the sculpture's base reads 'ROBERT, FIRST BARON BADEN-POWELL OF GILWELL OM / 1857 – 1941 / FOUNDER OF THE BOYS SCOUTS MOVEMENT'
Plaque
ROBERT. FIRST BARON BADEN-POWELL OF GILWELL OM
1857 – 1941
FOUNDER OF THE BOY SCOUT MOVEMENT[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Wood, Edward (April 1971). The story of B.-P.'s House. London: The Scout Association. ISBN 0-85165-016-3.
  2. 1 2 Matthews, Peter (2012). London's Statues and Monuments. Bloomsbury. ISBN 0747807981.
  3. ↑ MacCarthy, Fiona (8 June 2004). "Donald Potter". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "Robert Baden-Powell – London, UK". Waymarking. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
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