I've always felt the statue of Sir Titus Salt in Roberts Park should be turned 180 degrees, to face the huge textile mill and village he created. I imagine he was proud of it during his lifetime. Salts Mill opened in 1853. Salt died in 1876. I'm sure he'd still be proud to see the legacy he left, now a World Heritage Site and a lovely place to visit, to live and to work. As it is, he faces the bandstand and the long promenade on the upper section of the park.
His statue was erected in 1903 to commemorate the 50 years that the mill had been operating and the centenary of Salt's birth. Commissioned by Sir James Roberts, who by then owned Saltaire, the Mill and the park, it was created by Francis Derwent Wood RA.
What an interesting perspective on the statue! It would be nice if Sir Titus Salt could face the legacy he built. The history of Saltaire is truly remarkable. I just shared a blog post, let me know what you think.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see that the following owners and the town thought so highly of his work, and commemorated him, keeping the mill structures even when the weaving stopped.
ReplyDeleteHe did a lot of good.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the statue overlooks the bandstand, promenade and park on purpose - to show that life isn't all about work, even though of course work plays an important part.
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