The esoteric

language of

London Road Fire

Station’s statues

and sculptures

J.J. Millson (1851-1919) was a Manchester based artist and sculptor.

Not only are the public sculptures of London Road Fire Station

extraordinary, they have a subtle language of symbolism and meaning.

Arguably the most enchanting sculptures of Manchester, these soon to

be restored and celebrated sculptures will represent the revival of an

iconic building. The language is one of beauty, meaning and mystery.

We hope you adore them as much as we do in this building of heart

and soul.

The missing statue of London Road

Almost superstitiously, would it be a good omen to complete the

building after its recent long and desolate history?

The winged seraphim symbolises divine powers and powerful flight.

The chariot is a symbol of time and often is associated with battles of

the sky gods. It carries the hero, who holds the crowning laurel wreath,

depicting the nobility of the gods. Three horses pull the chariot, which

represents the swiftness of dynamic power. The winged champion

steering the chariot represents the mind. In numerology, three

represents the past, present and future and is a number of optimism.

Details –the hose tower

Four Eagles watch the city of Manchester, to keep its people safe from

harm. The eagles symbolise ascension, victory, pride, authority and

strength in the element of air.

The eagles sit on spheres. These could represent the certainty of power

that Manchester had in that time in the world. Egg-like, they symbolise

life and its potential. The great round contains the cosmos and time

and is a symbol of fertility.

Dolphins swim at the top of the columns. The dolphin’s traditional

meaning is for safety and swiftness. The dolphin is also a messenger of

the divine within the power of the ocean.

The faces in the sun symbolise the supreme cosmic powers and the all-

seeing divinities. It is also a Masonic symbol of power, rule and

leadership.

The four columns symbolise strength and stability. The overall dome is

also a metaphor for the sky over earth, or the celestial.

Throughout London Road Fire Station there are domes and columns.

Physically, Greek columns were designed for temples and embodied the

symbolism of the tree of life. There are three towers – a number

repeated throughout the building that symbolises past, present and

future and everything under the skies of Manchester.

Detail – Coroner’s Court symbols of truth and justice (London Road)

Justice: a lady in armour and chainmail. She holds a sword, which

symbolises power, protection, authority. Her armour represents

chivalry and protection.

Truth: a lady in a hooded cloak holds a mirror. The mirror symbolises

true reflections, wisdom and divine intelligence. The hooded cloak

symbolises concealment, shelter and protection - under truth.

Who are Milson's fire and water maidens? (London Road)

These six maidens symbolise the elements and the completion of a

circle. Three represent the passage of the lunar cycle and time: past,

present and future.

Fire maidens: the central figure holds a serpent symbolising poison,

preservation and a destroyer (like fire). One holds a torch, symbolising

the flame of life, truth and immortality. One holds a trident, which

symbolises the element of thunder and power, and a broken vessel lies

on the floor for destructive power. Fire becomes a symbol of good and

evil, transformation and destruction, with stern features.

Water maidens: in stark contrast to their sisters, water symbolises

nourishment of life, sources of all potential and life. They are

surrounded by vessels as they pour water, the feminine principle of

protection and preservation. Plants show the cycle of life, rebirth via

the elements. Fish swim at their feet, symbolising the renewal and

sustenance of life.

Details - fire and water angels (London Road)

Angels or cherubs in secretive, concealing drapes adorn the gate. They

symbolise messengers of the divine, purity and renewal of energy.

The fire angel holds a torch for life to illuminate power (phallic

principle) where the dry wood becomes receptive to the flames.

The water angel holds a large pot that contains water and is receptive

and abundant. Lush plant life and flowers flourish around him.

They complement the fire and water maidens in their metaphor of

primordial powers.

Hard to see, above the front gate, are single sculptures of fire and

water beneath their sisters. Encased in dirt, they hold respective fire

torches or pots of water.

Details - two facing towers (London Road)

On each corner of both towers there are identical statues – sadly some

are hard to see until the public is given access to go up the hose tower

or be in the courtyard.

The sculptures repeated twice are strength, nurturing, justice and

abundance.

Strength: a young girl sits beside a regal lion, which symbolises

fortitude, justice, law and ferocity. He has his foot on a globe, showing

the importance of Manchester in the world at that time and its

confidence. In her youth, innocence and adventurousness tames the

beast’s instincts through gentleness.

Nurturing: a mother cradles her baby as she covers her eyes from the

sun. The pose depicts thought, caring and surveying her city. The

infant in her arms conveys possibilities, nurturing the future,

innocence and protection.

Justice: harder to see, a stern woman with a long neck and a sword for

power, authority and justice, and a scroll for learning, knowledge and

destiny.

Abundance: a crowned queen with a cornucopia. Very hard to see until

the day the public can go on the hose tower for better views. Her royal

position emanates as she holds the symbol for “the horn of plenty”, of

fruitfulness and abundance.

Details – statues of science/education and industry (London Road)

Education/science: a cloaked lady (secrecy and nobility) holds an open

book, which symbolises the Book of Life, universal possibilities and

revelations of knowledge and wisdom.

Industry: another cloaked lady holds a cog, which symbolises

cooperation. Every gear must work together to make something great!

She also holds a hammer, which suggests harnessing the forces of

nature.

The union sculptures (Whitworth Street)

A noble man and woman are shown with horses, which symbolise

dynamic power, swiftness of thought and of mortal life, ridden by

heroes. He holds reins to show industry and man’s intellect in

harnessing the power of life. She has a Roman column, which gives a

nod to the ancient goddesses of horses, Epona.

Both complementary sets have laurel wreaths, symbols of martial

victory, crowning a successful commander during his triumph. The

cloaks show nobility, secrecy and sacred protection for the journey.

Details - spirit of the noble adventurers (Whitworth Street)

Goddesses of the sea and fire. One goddess has sails to represent the

wind’s breath and air moving across the oceans, as water pours from

fountains. It symbolises the strength of the British Empire. The other

goddess is of fire and air, where the torch and a lighthouse of antiquity

give light. It shows the ship where to sail and stay safe from danger.

Detail: the Medusa heads (Whitworth Street)

Why are there Medusa heads on the Police Station side?

Medusa symbolises the battle to overcome destructiveness, holding a

mirror and shield for justice. The myth of Perseus, Medusa, Athena and

Pegasus.

Detail - Milson's ocean men (Whitworth Sreet)

These half sculptures almost look like mermen and are clearly a tribute

to the old British Empire, which “ruled the waves”.

The shield symbolises military prowess, preservation and protection.

The ship and ocean - primordial waters and all unfathomable potential

under the sun and moon. Adventure and exploration.

Nudity symbolises freedom from all earthly taint – it is often how

heroes are portrayed in mythology.

The nod towards the merman has a divine sense of power in the ocean

* The detail of leaves suggests new growth and confidence in the city

and the empire.

Details – lions

The many wide variations of lions on London Road have several

symbolic meanings - majesty, justice, courage, fortitude, law and

power.

Details – cherubs

The cherubim are winged creatures that symbolise the presence of

divinity - they are guardians of the sacred.

Details – Fruit, leaves and plantlife

This is just one example of the many flourishing, rich, swirling

decorative motifs that feature plants, fruits and leaves.

The plants and leaves symbolise fertility, growth and renewal. Fruits

symbolise the essence of the the tree of life and often in mythology are

symbols of immortality.

References and credits

Cooper, J.C. 1978. An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Traditional Symbols.

Thames and Hudson

Photos from Shooting Parrot, Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum,

Barry Leach and personal photos.