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Statue of George Peabody

City of London, GB

Statue of George Peabody

The statue of George Peabody is a bronze statue of American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody. It is located behind the Royal Exchange in the City of London. The idea to honour Peabody was due to his large charitable contributions to housing in London. He established the Peabody Donation

Fund (now known as the Peabody Trust), one of the largest housing associations in the country, to offer affordable housing for working-class citizens. During his lifetime, Peabody donated the equivalent of £85,000,000 to charitable institutions. For this reason he has been called the father of modern philanthropy. The statue of Peabody is one of several public artworks on and near the Royal Exchange. It was sculpted by American artist William Wetmore Story and unveiled in 1869. The ceremony included speeches by Prince Edward and US Ambassador John Lothrop Motley. It was listed in 1972. A replica of the statue was installed in Baltimore, U.S., in 1890.

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