I have a photo of my husband's Dad, Edward Mooney, taken in England ca. 1918 (WWI). He is squatting in front of a small 10'-12' circular monument (almost looks like a cake or candle with dripping wax/frosting). It is topped with a winged dragon (I don't see anywhere to upload this photo to this site). Does anybody know where or what this monument is?
Posted by
92 posts
Can you provide any further information about the photo or the background? City, village, countryside? Better yet, can you post the photo or provide a link to a scanned version?
You might also post this on other travel forums, such as TripAdvisor and Fodor's, so that more people see your question.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Here is the link to the photo. https://www.flickr.com/photos/140541514@N02/
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34003 posts
That's a good description of the photo you have. I must say, I have never seen anything like it in England. Could it have possibly been Wales? There's nothing but dragons and mountains there (ducking)....
I'll keep an eye out, but it looks unique to me....
good luck..
Posted by
OP
6 posts
I believe the photo was taken somewhere in England because that is what is written on the back of photo.
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7168 posts
It looks like it could be in someone's garden so could be hard to track down. And of course if picture was taken in 1918 it's possible it's long gone. Hope someone recognizes it for you.
Posted by
London, England.
662 posts
You could try emailing the V&A Museum, they might have someone who knows if its a 'known' statue. Maybe worth a shot.
Posted by
white plains, ny, usa
4167 posts
I certainly can't judge the location , but I seem to recall this as an icon I encountered last fall in northeastern France ( The Somme ) . I'll go back to my records and check . It sounds as if this is what you see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyvern
Posted by
Corvallis OR
7168 posts
That's funny you should say that Emma. When I first looked at the picture I also thought it looked like a goose or swan rather than a dragon. I hope the OP finds it though.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
I did a reverse image search on google, didn't find anything, however, I didn't know I could do that, so thank you for the info. I have also emailed the V&A Museum, got an auto-response that said it could take up to 21 days to get back to me. If nothing else I am very thankful for you taking the time to offer suggestions.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34003 posts
Given that it is to a degree WW-I related, the Imperial War Museum may also be able to help.
Posted by
white plains, ny, usa
4167 posts
I just found this , I knew it rang a bell - http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/othercemeteries/welsh_memorial_mametz.htm
Posted by
Washington
920 posts
I could be wrong, but there's an element of Art Nouveau gone mad about it. If you could clarify the period and style, you could possibly reach out to an art museum (e.g., Ecole de Nancy) and see if they have any ideas.
I've Googled a few things out of curiosity as I'm sure others have. Bit of a stumper! All the best in finding out more about it.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Steven thank you for the link to your photos taken in Somme, there is a similarity.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7941 posts
The frosting effect is a "grotto" kind of ornament, which strikes me as less likely in a cemetery. The bottom third of the monument resembles a locomotive "cowcatcher", so it might be related to one or more rail workers. I agree that the dragon ( if that's what it is) is not a typical Welsh dragon.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Interesting about the "cowcatcher" on train. Ed Mooney (in photo) was a Head Waiter on a Canadian Pacific Railroad before WWI broke out!