Lot Essay
On 9 March 1861 'parties desirous of submitting plans for embanking the river Thames' were invited to do so in an advertisement placed in The Times. The present picture was one of 59 schemes submitted to the commissioners and was warmly commended by The Times of 21 May. 'Mr Newton's bold conception ... would divide the Thames into three, leaving a central channel for the main traffic and scour of the river, as wide as Horseferry, flanked on either side by a broad and massive viaduct, supported on arches; the viaduct to be covered with buildings, including public offices, law courts &c., and the arches supporting it to give access to the side streams which would accomodate the river-side commerce. Mr Newton's scheme, startling as it may appear at first blush, and with all its architectural accompaniments, avoids the great difficulty of interference with river-side business premises, which threatens to load with an intolerable weight of compensation any scheme of embankment which involves dealing with the present foreshores. If Mr Newton's plan does not impair the scour of the river it will, we really believe, bear more looking into than most great architectural conceptions of town improvement, and in this belief we commend it to the Thames Embankment Commissioners, and the London public who are so largely interested in the work that the Commission have in mind.'
Newton far exceeded the original brief, however, and the commission to build the Victoria Embankment went to Sir Joseph Bazalgette. It was built between 1864 and 1870 at a cost of £1,260,000.
We are grateful to Ralph Hyde for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.
Newton far exceeded the original brief, however, and the commission to build the Victoria Embankment went to Sir Joseph Bazalgette. It was built between 1864 and 1870 at a cost of £1,260,000.
We are grateful to Ralph Hyde for his help in preparing this catalogue entry.