Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton Gardens, C. 1880 - 1881
View of the French sculpture exhibits and original fountain in the eastern forecourt of the Royal Exhibition Buildings, Carlton Gardens.
Sometime btween 1 October 1880 and 30 April 1881. Although it is unclear when the fountain was removed, photographs showing the eastern forecourt in the early twentieth century already reveal that the fountain had been replaced by the current design, manufactured by Antoine Durenne. In the right foreground stands an "imitation bronze" cast of Alfred Jacquemart's "Hunter and Dogs", the exhibitor's name - the Societe du Val d'Osne - mounted on a plaque on the stone plinth. "Imitation bronze" was a technique of casting iron and then coating the surface with copper through electrolysis. The copper would develop a green patina over time, giving the appearance of a bronze casting. Val d'Osne were responsible for the casting of many of Jacquemart's sculpture works produced for commercial release, and their exhibit included numerous cast sculptural works in the gardens around the fountain, many of which can be seen in this photograph. They were awarded a First Order of Merit for their work.