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Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown

1977 sculpturesOutdoor sculptures in LondonSilver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown
Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown

The Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown is a perspex sculpture by Arthur Fleischmann which has been displayed at the St Katharine Docks in London since the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 1977. A plaque nearby claims that it is the largest solid block of acrylic in the world. The Crystal Crown is made from a large block of transparent perspex measuring approximately 10 feet 9 inches (328 cm) by 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) by 8 inches (20 cm) and weighting about 2 tons. The block was cast by Stanley Plastics, having been commissioned by Stanley Kubrick to be used as the monolith in his 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, but Kubrick rejected the transparent block in favour of an opaque plywood structure painted black. Fleischmann acquired the unused perspex block after MGM's Borehamwood studio closed in 1970. Working in a temporary studio at St Katharine Docks, Fleischmann carved away on one side of the block, excavating a crown surrounded by the rays of a sunburst. The completed work was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on 5 June 1977 as part of the celebration of her Silver Jubilee, mounted inside the colonnade of the Coronarium Chapel at the docks in London. The Coronarium was roofed over and converted into a coffee shop in 2000, and the Crystal Crown was moved and mounted on the side of the Tower Hotel as part of a lightbox that is backlit at night.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown
Star Place, London Wapping

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N 51.507 ° E -0.0726 °
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St Katharine Docks

Star Place
E1W 1AF London, Wapping
England, United Kingdom
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Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown
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Yeoman Warders Club
Yeoman Warders Club

The Keys, more frequently known as the Yeoman Warders Club, is a non-public pub in the Tower of London, in England, open only to the members of the Yeomen Warders, and their guests. The Yeomen Warders, who are known colloquially as the "Beefeaters", are the guards of the Tower of London; as of 2020 there were 37 Beefeaters. Beefeaters generally live in the Tower along with their families, which led to the existence of a dedicated pub. The current name of the pub, "The Keys", refers to a nightly locking-up ritual in the Tower; the name is a recent change, and the establishment was historically known as the Yeoman Warders Club. Though numerous pubs used to exist in the Tower, this is the only remaining one, and is about 150 years old. The pub serves several unique drinks, including a "Beefeater bitter" and "Yeoman 1485" beers (1485 refers to the year the Beefeaters were founded). It also features copious amounts of Beefeater Gin. The pub enforces a strict formal dress code. Though usually only open to Warders and their guests, it is often made accessible to the public during the annual Open House London. Business Insider notes that it might be the "most exclusive pub in the world".The pub features elegant red leather seating, and a highly detailed carpet that includes symbols of the British Monarchy. The interior is decorated with uniforms of the Beefeaters, as well as various historical artifacts from the Tower of London. Prominent among those is a signature of Rudolf Hess, who was imprisoned in the Tower during World War II. A Yeoman executioner's axe also hangs on the wall, along with a sign that marked execution spots. The pub also hosts a collection of silver goblets, which are used to swear in new recruits; the Beefeaters traditionally toast the new recruit by saying "May you never die a Yeoman Warder." The phrase originates from a now defunct custom of Beefeaters selling their position to another person when they retired; but if they died in office, the Tower would earn money from selling the vacant post instead.

Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and is one of five London bridges owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust founded in 1282. The bridge was constructed to give better access to the East End of London, which had expanded its commercial potential in the 19th century. The bridge was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales in 1894. The bridge is 800 feet (240 m) in length and consists of two 213-foot (65 m) bridge towers connected at the upper level by two horizontal walkways, and a central pair of bascules that can open to allow shipping. Originally hydraulically powered, the operating mechanism was converted to an electro-hydraulic system in 1972. The bridge is part of the London Inner Ring Road and thus the boundary of the London congestion charge zone, and remains an important traffic route with 40,000 crossings every day. The bridge deck is freely accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians, whereas the bridge's twin towers, high-level walkways, and Victorian engine rooms form part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition. Tower Bridge has become a recognisable London landmark. It is sometimes confused with London Bridge, about 0.5 miles (800 m) upstream, which has led to a persistent urban legend about an American purchasing the wrong bridge.