Manual Ref* NFklKL010 Show 5 images 379
Title*

Statue of Frederick Savage
County Norfolk   District Council King's Lynn 
Civil Parish or equivalent King's Lynn  Town/Village* King's Lynn 
Road Junction of London Road and Guanock Terrace 
Precise Location In the Vicinity of the South Gate 
OS Grid Ref TF622192  Postcode PE30 
Previous location(s)  
Setting In the vicinity of the South Gate in an area of residential housing  Access Public 
Artist/Maker Role Qualifier
Possibly Henry Brown  Stonemason(s)   

Commissioned by

 'His Friends' but presumably with financial support from Savage himself 

Design & Constrn period

  

Date of installing

 1892 

Exact date of unveiling

 27-May-1892 

Category
Abstract Animal Architectural
Commercial Commemorative Composite
Free Functional Funerary
Heraldic Military Natural
Non-Commemorative Performance Portable
Religious Roadside, Wayside Sculptural
Temporary, Mobile Other  

Object Type
Building Clock Tower Architectural
Coat of Arms Cross Fountain
Landscape Marker Medallion
Mural Panel Readymade
Relief Shaft Sculpture
Statue Street Furniture War Memorial
Other Object Sub Type:

Subject Type
Allegorical Mythological Pictorial
Figurative Non-figurative Portrait
Still-life Symbolic Other

Subject Sub Type
Bust Equestrian Full-length
Group Head Reclining
Seated Standing Torso
Part Material Dimension
Statue  Limestone  Life-size 
Plinth  Limestone  3.50 metres high, 1.5 metre wide and deep 

Work is
Extant Not Sited Lost

Owner/Custodian

 Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk 

Listing status
Grade I Grade II* Grade II Don't Know Not Listed

Surface Condition
Corrosion, Deterioration Accretions
Bird Guano Abrasions, cracks, splits
Biological growth Spalling, crumbling
Metallic staining Previous treatments
Other  
Detail: Statue and pedestal are both very stained

Structural Condition
Armature exposed Broken or missing parts
Replaced parts Loose elements
Cracks, splits, breaks, holes Spalling, crumbling
Water collection Other
Detail: Index finger of right hand is missing, thumb renewed and hand held together by wire

Vandalism
Graffiti Structural damage Surface Damage
Detail:

Overall condition
Good Fair Poor

Risk
No Known Risk At Risk Immediate
Signatures/Marks  
Inscriptions Monogram 'FS' at the top of the pedestal at the front. West face: 'Unveiled 1892'; South face: 'Frederick Savage Esqr / Mayor 1889-1890; Erected by his Friends 

Description (physical)

 Frederick Savage (1828-97) stands on a tall pedestal wearing his mayoral robes and regalia, gesturing with his right hand as if in the middle of making a speech 

Description (iconographical)

 This is the only statue of a civic dignitary in the region set up during his lifetime, largely no doubt, because Savage subsidised it himself. The statue omits Savage's 'larger than life' entrepreneurial character and instead depicts him as a sober public figure. In the following year Savage commissioned a splendid set of shops on London Road Lowestoft, also emblazened with FS, SUwaLO018 Savage, a self-made engineer, came from a deprived rural background, and after his father was caught poaching and deported to Australia, Savage began a new career working for a machine maker, later taken over by millwrights. In 1850 he set up as a smithy and began making farm implements in 1853, but then expanded into larger works and branched out with a self-propelled traction engine. His commercial success stemmed from his involvement in fairgound rides, applying steam driven technology to the rides set up by travelling showmen on the Tuesday Market.He produced steam swings, a gondola switchback, sea on land ride and the galloping cockerels. One of Savage’s merry-go-rounds of 1886, but now refurbished, is shown when in Norwich for Christmas 2009. His memorial in the Hardwick cemetery of 1897 was signed by the local stonemason Henry Brown. In spite of the different subject matter - a portrait against a mourning angel - there are enough similarities in the handling of the features and the hands to support the view that Savage's children commissioned his memorial from the stonemason responsible for this statue. 

Photographs

 Date taken:  28/7/2006
Date logged:  1/8/2006

Photographed by:
Sarah Cocke

On Site Inspection

 Date:  28/7/2006

Inspected by:
David Hulks

Sources and References

 http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gee-bee/savage/fsaveng.htm accessed 23-May-07 / www.pollymodelengineering.co.uk/sections/stationary-engines/anthony-mount-models/savage-Organ-Engine.asp accessed 23-May-07 

Database

 Date entered:  23/5/2007

Data inputter:
David Hulks