Illustrated topographical postcards, mostly from the UK, and mostly pre-1950.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Big Ben and chimes, London
Artist: Frank O. Salisbury
Publisher: Raphael Tuck & Sons
PM: none
1 comment:
Anonymous
said...
Big Ben Facts and Figures: How Big is Ben? 9'-0" diameter, 7'-6" high, and weighing in at 13 tons 10 cwts 3 qtrs 15lbs (13,760 Kg) or 13 huge Limousine London vehicles. When? Big Ben was cast on Saturday 10th April 1858, with the first chime rung in situ on 31st May 1859. Where? Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London. By Whom? George Mears, then the master bellfounder and owner of the foundry. How Much? UKP 2,401 for casting the bell (However this was offset to the sum of UKP 1,829 by the metal reclaimed from a previous bell so that the actual invoice submitted, on 28th May 1858, was for UKP 572. "Big Ben" does not refer to the whole clocktower, but to the huge thirteen ton bell that strikes the hour. One theory has it that the bell was named after a popular heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt. However, the consensus today seems to be that it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall*, a (literally) weighty politician of the time who was the Parliamentary Commissioner of Works.
1 comment:
Big Ben Facts and Figures:
How Big is Ben? 9'-0" diameter, 7'-6" high, and weighing in at 13 tons 10 cwts 3 qtrs 15lbs (13,760 Kg) or 13 huge Limousine London vehicles.
When? Big Ben was cast on Saturday 10th April 1858, with the first chime rung in situ on 31st May 1859.
Where? Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London.
By Whom? George Mears, then the master bellfounder and owner of the foundry.
How Much? UKP 2,401 for casting the bell (However this was offset to the sum of UKP 1,829 by the metal reclaimed from a previous bell so that the actual invoice submitted, on 28th May 1858, was for UKP 572.
"Big Ben" does not refer to the whole clocktower, but to the huge thirteen ton bell that strikes the hour.
One theory has it that the bell was named after a popular heavyweight boxer Benjamin Caunt. However, the consensus today seems to be that it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall*, a (literally) weighty politician of the time who was the Parliamentary Commissioner of Works.
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