In Amy Levy’s novel The Romance of a Shop, Waterloo Place is mentioned when talking about The Waterloo Gazette, a newspaper created in the area. Although the women in the story do not visit Waterloo Place, Gertrude turns down an interview with the magazine about her family’s photography shop and her career in general. The text also states, however, that later on “some unauthorised person wrote a little account of the Lorimers’ studio in one of the society papers…” (Levy 135)
As it is clear to see from the map above, courtesy of the London OS Town Plan, Waterloo Place is surrounded by a plethora of clubs, most likely meeting places for upper class citizens, and is also populated by war monuments and artistic statues, including a memorial to commemorate the Crimean War. One of the clubs visible on the map, the Athenaeum Club, was a clubhouse for gentlemen of the upper middle class, who enjoyed the arts, science, and were known for their artistic accomplishments. It was only in 2002 that the club, which still operates to this day, began to admit female members.
According to the Charles Booth Poverty Map as well, it is obvious that Waterloo Square is in a very wealthy area of London, as if the various sculptures and clubs in the area are not proof enough. On Booth’s charts, both red and orange represent middle class and upper middle class establishments being present, and the overwhelming amount of both colors suggest that Waterloo Place was in the center of a very affluent area. Its close proximity to Piccadilly Circus and the Royal Academy of the Arts also backs up this claim. However, it is interesting to note that on the left side of St. James Square, there is a row of blue dwellings, which indicates that was a smattering of poor families living in the area as well.
Works Cited
Levy, Amy. The Romance of a Shop. Ed. Susan David Bernstein. Canada: Broadview Editions, 2006. p. 135. Print.
Charles Booth Online Archive. Booth Poverty Map and Modern Map. Web. 30 October 2015. http://booth.lse.ac.uk/cgi-bin/do.pl?sub=view_booth_and_barth&args=529583,180350,1,large,0
London – OS Town Plan 1893-6. Web. 30 October 2015. https://mapsengine.google.com/07550989709782409818-08328807677136535917-4/mapview/?authuser=0
“And before he had time to speak she had slipped away, and the omnibus was turning ruthlessly down Waterloo Place.” “In Dull Brown”, Evelyn Sharp, 185
The story is all about transition, or attempted transition. Waterloo Place is only mentioned once in the entirety of the story, because it only needs to be mentioned once. The landmark itself acts as the transition between Jean leaving the bus for her stop at Picadilly Circus and him staying on the bus to wait for his stop, which comes later. Waterloo Place itself is a transitional place because of its reconstruction and it being almost a bridge between Regent Street and St. James Park. Edward Walford states in his article, “Waterloo Place and Her Majesty’s Theatre”, which can be found on British History, that around “the year 1815, some low and mean houses that stood between the market and Pall Mall were demolished…in order to form the broad and spacious thoroughfares of Lower Regent Street and Waterloo Place.” It now contains many statues and war memorials, such as “the Duke of York’s Column, the Guards’ Memorial, which was erected from the designs of Mr. John Bell… three bronze figures, representing a Grenadier, a Fusilier, and one of the Coldstream Guards” (Walford). Towards the East of the square is Her Majesty’s Theatre, or the Opera House, and “and extends north and south from Charles Street to Pall Mall” (Walford).
Waterloo Place used to be a poverty stricken area before it was entirely erased and rebuilt, all traces of filth and socioeconomic struggle conveniently removed from the architecture, designed by a Mr. Nash. As it’s shown on the Charles Booth online archive, in the years between 1898 to 1899, Waterloo Place was surrounded by middle class, upper middle class, and wealthy people.
Jean wants to keep her origin a secret from him just like Waterloo Place wants to keep its origin secret from all of London It doesn’t want anyone to know that it came from slums and poverty and was torn town and rebuilt into wealth and stature.
In the article entitled, “Waterloo Place and Her Majesty’s Theatre” by Edward Walford, from the “British History”, Waterloo Place was as complex as Victorian life itself. The layout of Waterloo Place was designed by architect Mr. Nash. It intersects at Pall Mall and is conjoined with Regent Street. Around the year 1815 “low and mean houses” or “filthy dwellings” were demolished to create an area that would later come to be referred to as Waterloo Place and Lower Regent Street. Described as a “spacious” place in which to live and relax, Waterloo Place is perhaps most famous for being connected to Regent’s Park which is described as having “elegant villas, and as being encircled by rows of houses of noble elevation.” It is likely Waterloo Place was a highly appointed location. It had beautiful in architect, timeless design and befitted the upper class (Walford. “British Histories”).
The significance of Waterloo Place in the story “In Dull Brown” by writer Evelyn Sharp, taken from the book entitled The Yellow Book, is Sharp’s description of her “journey” on the omnibus. Sharp, who “is going to teach three children all sorts of things they don’t want to learn a bit”, identifies the stops along the route of the omnibus while in route to Waterloo Place, which includes Green Park and Piccadilly Circus Station. The adjoining areas were designed to accommodate the upper class (Sharp.185). Due in part to its unique configuration, Waterloo Place is what we would consider a “square”. The street and those that intersect it are well appointed with five statues and two large monuments. They include the “Guards Monument” and the “Duke of York” as situated at the end of Waterloo Place and the intersection of Carlton Garden. The five statues depict renowned British figures. They stand in quiet solitude and are: The Sir John Franklin Statue, The Burgoyne Statue, The Lord Lawrence Statue, The Lord Clyde Statue, and The Lord Napier of Magdala Statue (Victorian Google Maps). Waterloo Place is also well-known for the Athenaeum Club, an erudite association that is located across from The United Service Club and a bank. Sharp is likened herself to the setting of Waterloo Place. Although the historical significance of the statues is recorded in time, they stand for those who refuse to acknowledge their origins as insignificant details of history. Some individuals find them to be inconsequential and choose not to learn about them. And like the statues who stand in quiet solitude Sharp realizes that on her daily journeys to and from her teaching assignment it is acceptable for her to assume a posture of quiet solitude among the masses with whom she mingles.Sharp is likened herself to the setting of Waterloo Place. Although the historical significance of the statues is recorded in time, they stand for those who refuse to acknowledge their origins as insignificant details of history. Some individuals find them to be inconsequential and choose not to learn about them. And like the statues who stand in quiet solitude Sharp realizes that on her daily journeys to and from her teaching assignment it is acceptable for her to assume a posture of quiet solitude among the masses with whom she mingles.
The Athenaeum to the far left
The Athenaeum Club, which appears to the left, is located on the corner of Waterloo Place (Ward. “Victorian Web”). According to the “British Histories” in the article entitled “Pall Mall, South Side, Exiting Buildings: The United Service Club, The Athenaeum”, this scholarly club was established in 1815 and came to fruition in 1825. It was conceptualized by John Wilson Croker as a gathering place for individuals known for their intellectual contributions to British society in the areas of literature, science, artistic accomplishments and who valued patrons of these endeavors. Affiliates were best known for their: inherited prominence, distinguished social positions, and scholarly influence. The club: both in concept and reality was highly efficacious. Other like-minded organizations succeeded the Athenaeum Club and replicated it in principal. The United Service Club was a highly successful army and navy gentlemen’s club that serviced senior officers (“British Histories”).
Works cited
‘Pall Mall, South Side, Existing Buildings: The United Service Club, The Athenaeum.’ Survey of
London: Volumes 29 and 30, St James Westminster, Part 1. Ed. F H W Sheppard. London: London County Council, 1960. 386-399. British History Online. Web. 3 September 2015. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols29-30/pt1/pp386-399.
Sharp, Evelyn. “In Dull Brown.” The Yellow Book 8 (January 1896): 181-200. The Yellow
Nineties Online.Ed. Dennis Denisoff and Lorraine Janzen Kooistra. Ryerson University,
