Piccadilly Circus, London

[hkskyline]

Piccadilly takes it name from a 17th century frilly collar called a picadil. A dressmaker grew rich making them and built a house in the vicinity.

For many years, Piccadilly Circus - at the junction of five busy streets - has been a famous London Landmark. At its heart and backlit by colorful electric displays is a bronze fountain topped by a figure of a winged archer. The statue is popularly called EROS, the pagan god of love, but it was in fact designed in the 19th century as a symbol of Christian charity - a monument to Lord Shaftesbury, a philanthropist.

The famous statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus is one of the symbols of London. It was originally called the Shaftesbury Monument, having been erected as a memorial to the philanthropist Lord Shaftesbury.

The actual figure rises above a fountain, which is made in bronze, but Eros is made out of aluminum, at that time a rare and novel material.

[Allan]

Nice photos as always, hkskyline! I wasn't aware of the history of the area. Thanks for sharing these.

[Urban_Legend]

*booking plane tickets to London, lol*

I like how there's ads for "Backing the Bid" 2012 Olympics. As far as I know, I haven't seen NY do that.

[BrandonTO416]

Great pics.