Statues - Hither & Thither

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Leeds
West Yorkshire
Yorkshire & Humberside

Millennium Square
(Leeds Civic Hall)

Golden Owls

Various sculptors
1933 and 2000

Description

The coat of arms of the Leeds City Council shows three owls. For that reason there are a lot of owl sculpures in Leeds. On and outside Civic Hall, built 1933 after designes of Vincent Harris, are five enormous golden owl statues, and one 'simple' stone one.

The two owls on top of each tower are sculpted by John Hodge, 1933. Each is cast in bronze, covered in gold leaf, is 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) tall and weighs half a ton. The other four (we saw only three) owls are made by city architect John Thorp and erected on square columns in 2000 as part of the creation of Millennium Square

On top of east tower, by Hodge (1933)	On top of west tower, by Hodge (1933)	South west corner, by Thorp (2000)
North entrance, by Cawthra (1933) (for source: click here)	On columns flanking east entrance, right by Thorp (2000)	On columns flanking aast entrance, left by Thorp (2000)

Artists

Hermon Cawthra (Baildon, Yorkshire 1886 - Bradford 1971), British sculptor (Wikipedia).
John Hodge, British sculptor.
John Thorp, Leeds civic architect.

Sources & Information

Wikipedia, Leeds Civic Hall.
BBC, Millennium Square sculpture.

Location (N 53°48'7" - W 1°32'54") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: gbyh120; Photograph: 28 July 2019
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt