Tower of London

Tower of London

Tower of London

Representative Article Image
The Tower of London
Artist	Attributed to Emily Wilson
Year	2017
Dimensions	55.2 cm × 43.8 cm ( 21 3⁄4 in ×  17 1⁄4 in)
Location	The Tower of London, London

Overview

This page contains information about multiple aspects of the Tower of London. The Tower is home to multiple aspects of London's history within the complexes several buildings. The Bloody Tower, the Crown Jewels, torture practiced in the Tower, and the White Tower are four main attractions within the complex. In addition, there are smaller attractions such as the Royal Beasts, exhibited by animal sculptures throughout the complex.

Background or Origin of Article

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Bloody Tower

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Crown Jewels

The Crown Jewels are a marvel to the eye. They show the true elegance and posh lifestyle of the royal family. It is hard to imagine that £5 billion in jewels are sitting in one location. It contains 141 pieces including the Coronation Spoon, Imperial State Crown, and The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross making it the largest collection of its kind. The sceptre has the largest colorless cut diamond in the world (530.2 karats). While they may seem unreachable, the Queen and other members of the royal family wear these pieces on special occasion such as royal christenings and weddings. Queen Elizabeth wore the Imperial State Crown for her coronation in 1953. She was also seen wearing Queen Victoria's tiara in 1955. The Crown Jewels can be dated as far back as 200 and 150 BC. A sword, brooch, ceremonial shield, and bronze crown were among the earliest pieces. Pieces were added after major war victories and canonizations. Just as they were gained, pieces were lost after losses. To read more about the crown jewels read this.

Torture in the Tower

When you walk into the tower it is hard to imagine that it was once used as a place for torture. However, as soon as you walk in you can visit the Wakefield tower and see a whole exhibit on prisoners and torture in the Tower. There are three different torture devices on display here, the manacle, the rack, and the scavengers daughter. The manacles worked by hanging the victim by their hands, with their arms above there head. The rack stretched the victims out, first raising them off the table, and then dislocating all of their joints. The scavenger's daughter worked in the opposite way and there were two versions. In the Wakefield Tower it crushed the body and in the Spanish Armories of the White tower it twisted the body.

White Tower

The White Tower's purpose has changed over time. Currently, it is being used as an exhibit for Medieval Armor and Weapons including Lances, Halberds, and royal weapons.

Royal Beasts

The Royal Beasts are exhibited by many different galvanized wire sculptures around the complex. Some of the more prominent sculptures include lions, a polar bear, an elephant, and monkeys. These animal sculptures were made by Kendra Haste, a sculptor, and a member of the Society of Wildlife Artists. The animals are not chosen at random but represent animals that used to be kept at the Tower. Exotic animals were given as gifts to different members of the monarchy, for example, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II gave Henry III three lions, said to compliment the three lions on his shield, to commemorate Frederick II's marriage to Henry the III's sister, Isabella.
The animals were also used as a tourist attraction in the 16th century. People would flock to see exotic animals housed at the Tower. Top "entertainers" included:

• a leopard capable of snatching items, such as umbrellas, from tourists,
• the Tower monkeys who exhibited human-like behavior in furnished rooms, and
• a zebra that would drink beer.

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  Elephant sculpture by Kendra Haste

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  Monkey sculptures by Kendra Haste

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  Polar Bear sculpture by Kendra Haste

References

1. Tower torture. (n.d.). Retrieved May 08, 2017, from http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit-us/top-things-to-see-and-do/tower-torture/#gs._BVRuIY
2. Turcotte, J. (2013, September 6). The British Crown Jewels. Retrieved May 08, 2017, from https://jeremyturcotte.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/the-british-crown-jewels/
3. Rundstrom, N. (2015, May 21). 5 Things About the Tower of London Animal Sculptures. Retrieved May 8, 2017, from Mirandus Tours: London and Beyond website: http://mirandustours.com/around-london/5-things-about-the-tower-of-london-animal-sculptures/

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