The Royal Hospital in 1890
South front and grounds of the Royal Hospital by George Munson,
c.1890
This watercolour shows the south front of the Royal Hospital as
seen from the river. The Royal Hospital was designed by Sir
Christopher Wren and is rightly considered one of his masterpieces.
The obelisk in the centre is a memorial to those who fell during
the battle of Chillinawalla in 1849. This was a decisive battle in
the 2nd Sikh War with huge losses on both sides. Surrounding the
monument are cannons used during the battle. An In-Pensioner
wearing his distinctive scarlet coat can be seen walking in the
grounds. The grounds are open to the public, and generations of
Chelsea children have spent many happy hours here.
Location of original: Chelsea Print Room B1462
Copyright: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Libraries (RBKC,
Libraries)
Every effort has been made to seek permission to reproduce those
images whose copyright does not reside with The Royal Borough of
Kensington and Chelsea, and we are grateful to the individuals and
institutions who have assisted in this task. Any omissions are
entirely unintentional, and the details should be sent to
virtualmuseum@rbkc.gov.uk.