The monument to George Peabody

An illustration showing the monument to George Peabody at the Royal Exchange, from 'London: a Pilgrimage' by Blanchard Jerrold and Gustave Doré, 1872. George Peabody was an American banker and philanthropist who set up the Peabody Donation Trust which built model homes for poor Londoners of good character. The first Peabody Estate was opened in Spitalfields in 1864. As a mark of respect a monument to Peabody was commissioned and paid for by public donation. The sculptor of the bronze was William Wetmore Story and the founder was Ferdinand von Miller of Munich. The statue was unveiled in 1869 and George Peabody died later the same year.