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The Ross Fountain Mermaid Statues in Edinburgh, Scotland

The Ross Fountain at Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh was made of cast iron, in 1860-62, in a foundry near Paris.   The first tier contains 8 mermaid statues holding urns, and 4 lion’s faces as spouts.  ( map )

Ross Fountain in Edinborough
Ross Fountain in Edinburgh

On the second tier, the 4 statues are representations of Science, Art, Poetry and Industry.  The second tier water basins are held up by mermaid children.   At the top the final figure holds a cornucopia.

The figures were sculpted by Jean-Baptiste Klagmann, who has done other famous works of sculpture in Paris.

Daniel Ross of Edinburgh bought the fountain when it was exhibited in London in 1862.  Ross donated it to the city of Edinburgh.   It was dismantled in London and shipped, and then installed in its present location in 1872.

In 2001 the fountain was fully restored, as broken pipes had made the fountain inoperational.

At this writing I know of 2 other sculptures in Scotland with mermaid statues.  They are:

  • The Mermaid of the North, a mermaid statue in Balintore
  • The Linlithgow Palace King’s Fountain mermaid statue.
The Ross Fountain in Edinburgh.
The Ross Fountain in Edinburgh. Photo by Adam Stewart.
The Ross Fountain
The Ross Fountain in Edinburgh. Photo by Nick Haynes.
The Ross Fountain Mermaids
The Ross Fountain Mermaids – 2 of 8. Photo by Nick Haynes.
The Ross Fountain in Edinburgh.
The Ross Fountain in Edinburgh. Photo by Andrew Short.
Ross Fountain in Edinborough
Ross Fountain in Edinborough

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Fountain
http://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/Venues/Monuments/Ross-Fountain  
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Baptiste-Jules_Klagmann

Additional images:  If you would like to help with additional photographs of these mermaid statues, please contact us.  Photos must be yours, 10 megapixel or better.  We can only accept photos if you give us full rights to use them in print and digital media.

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This site is about mermaids on planet Earth

Why? Because mermaids are all around us. Lots of them. No, not actual live mermaids of course…

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