Lot 31: English School, late 19th century

Readymoney's Fountain, First Park, Regent's Park (illustrated); and Broad Walk with Swans Fountain, Second Park, Regent's Park with inscriptions 'Regents Park. Readymoney's Fountain 2 nd Park' and 'Regents Park. 1 s t Park/Broad walk with marble and bronze swans fountain' (lower centre, on the mounts) pencil, one with pen and brown ink, watercolour, heightened with touches of bodycolour 101/2 x 14 5/8 in. (26.7 x 37.2 cm.); and slightly smaller (2) NOTES Drinking fountains in Victorian London were the business of the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association, which erected and maintained over 140 of them. A number of ornamental fountains were provided by private munificence. The Swan Fountain in Regent's Park was designed by Richard Westmacott the Younger (1799-1872) and was erected in the middle of Broad Walk. It consisted of a polished red granite column on which was a female figure in bronze. The water flowed from the bills of two bronze swans at the base of the column into a large tazza of black enamelled slate. It was irreparable damaged in 1961. The Avenue Gardens in the Lower Broad Walk were laid out in 1863 to the designs of William Nesfield (1793-1881). The neo gothic Parsee Fountain, which bears the name of its benefactor, the Indian Parsee Sir Cowasji Jehangir Ready Money was designed by the architect Robert Keirle (fl.1862-1902). It was given in gratitude to Queen Victoria for her 'benevolent empress-ship of India' and erected in the Upper Broad Walk in 1869. Recently it has been restored and moved further north to the highest point of the Broad Walk.