Trafalgar Square 1850 - 1900

This photograph captures Trafalgar Square, dominated by Nelson's Column, which was erected to commemorate Admiral Horatio Nelson's death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The column serves as a potent symbol of British naval power and national pride. Consider the column itself, a motif that echoes throughout history, from ancient Roman triumphal columns to modern-day monuments. These structures, reaching towards the heavens, symbolize victory, power, and the enduring legacy of individuals or empires. The impulse to erect such monuments speaks to a deep-seated human desire to immortalize achievements and project strength across time. The effigy atop the column, gazing outwards, reminds me of ancient Greek statues of gods and heroes. This cultural continuity in how societies choose to honor their figures connects the subconscious memories of past civilizations and their symbolic language of power, which we can see evolving and reappearing in different eras, charged with new meanings yet rooted in ancient archetypes.