The Doulton Fountain in Glasgow Green

the whole fountain

I am conflicted when it comes to the Doulton Fountain.  On the one hand, it is lovely to look at, hand sculpted, very big, very old and very interesting to photograph.  On the other, it's all Empire and Jubilee and all things that make me terribly uncomfortable.

The Fountain is the largest terracotta fountain in the world, like anywhere else in the whole world.  It is 46 feet tall and 70 feet wide across it's basin.  You can find it in Glasgow Green behind the Peoples' Palace.  It was renovated and moved in 2005 after falling into disrepair, at a cost of (cough) £4 million.

It was designed by Arthur Edward Pearce and sculpted by Pearce and students at the Lambeth School of Art.  It was given to Glasgow by Sir Henry Doulton and first unveiled at the Empire Exhibition in Kelvingrove Park in 1888.  It was designed to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. 

It has five tiers to it.  Going from the top to the bottom -

Queen Victoria (this is not the original which was apparently struck by lightning in 1894.  This is a free replacement from Sir Henry).

Four kneeling maidens emptying pitchers of water

Below the maidens you have four statues of military personnel representing the Black Watch (of Scotland), the Grenadier Guards (England), the Royal Navy and the Irish Fusiliers

Below the soldiers are lions each spurting water.

The bottom tier has four individual sections each representing the four corners of the British Empire

India

Canada

Australia

South Africa

These are actually the hardest I find to photograph because of the angle that you have to point your camera at and if it is a windy day, the water can get on your camera lens (and yourself).

At the bottom of the terracotta basin is the inscription, "Let Glasgow Flourish" with the Glasgow crest.

It's beautiful of that there is no doubt and as fountains go, it is a stunner.  I might prefer it if it was upside down though, just not sure how that would work.

La Pasionaria sculpture

La Pasionaria sculpture is something I like to go and visit when I've lost faith with the world a little bit and need a boost.

It's situated on the Clyde walkway off Clyde Street and Glasgow Bridge (opposite the Euro Hostel).

I've found the sculpture really hard to photograph and I am now convinced that I may have to take a step ladder with me to get it properly.

A little bit about the sculpture.  It was commissioned by the International Brigade Association of Scotland in 1974 and erected in 1979.  It was produced by Liverpool sculpture Arthur Dooley.

It is made of painted fibreglass and the whole monument stands around 9ft tall, hence the need for a step ladder.

It was refurbished and finally given a good old fashioned launching in 2010.

The defiant statue atop of the monument is Dolores Ibárruri, la pasionaria (the passion flower), a leader in the Spanish Communist and Spanish Republican movements.

Below the statue are two inscriptions.  The first, a quote from the Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, "better to die on your feet than live for ever on your knees".

The second inscription dedicates the monument to the volunteers of the International Brigades who united to fight against the fascist forces of Franco and his allies in the Spanish Civil War.

I love this monument and as a Socialist, I am incredibly proud of the people that it is dedicated to.