Paintings, Prints & Drawings — 1904
Lots Road Power Station
In 1904, Eric Gill was living at 13 Battersea Bridge Buildings, on the west side of Battersea Bridge Road, and was able to watch the completion of the Lots Road Power Station over on the Chelsea bank of the Thames. This drawing was probably made from the roof of Gill's house. The power station became operational in Fenruary 1905.
Lots Road Power Station was begun in 1902 to provide electricity for the District Railway, and to power three tube lines which are now the Bakerloo, Piccadilly and the Charing Cross Branch of the Northern Line. Designed by the American engineer, James Russell Chapman, it was consciously American in size and style. Gill believed that engineering could produce 'work of extraordinary beauty in the living sense that beauty is power made visible', but others thought the new power station a monstrosity, hence its nickname 'the Chelsea Monster'.
- Category:
- Paintings, Prints & Drawings
- Object ID:
- 82.352
- Object name:
- Lots Road Power Station
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- Gill, Eric
- Related people:
Underground Electric Railways Company of London Ltd (U.E.R.L.)
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- 1904
- Material:
paper, watercolour, ink
- Measurements/duration:
- H 128 mm, W 216 mm (paper)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 60%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
Bridgeman Copyright Service
- Image credit:
© The Artist's Estate/ Bridgeman Art Library. All Rights Reserved, 2010
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.