b/w by Pete Sanders

color by Jim Ryder.

THE RESCUE OF ANDROMEDA

Thanks to a marvellous piece of photographic and internet detection work by Peter Sanders and Jim Ryder. Rumblings in now able to add another Bolan landmark to the itinerary - the location of The Warlock Of Love 1968 photo-session statue.

Initially Peter Sanders couldn't recall the location - but he remembered it was Marc who approached him and suggested the statue site for a photo-session, and it was somewhere in the central London area. However, after careful inspection of his original photo's with a magnifying glass he managed to locate on the statue's plinth a plague bearing  the inscription Rescue of Andromeda. Jim Ryder then tried everywhere to hunt down the statue's exact location - London library's. Tourist Roards. Museums. etc - but to no avail. "Whilst 'surfing' the net he discovered a website  by  London based historical photographer Peter Marshall. Following an e-mail from Jim, within two weeks Peter Marshall was able to respond with the statue's location - just to the right of the entrance to the Tate Gallery' (nearest underground station - Pimlico.

The sculpture is by Henry C. Fehr (1867-1940) and was made in 1893. It depicts part of a fascinating legend from Greek mythology - the scene of the rescue of Andromeda from the sea dragon. At the base of the sculpture a naked women is chained to the rocky cliff face. She is Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus - King of the Aethiopians. Cepheus's queen, Cassiopeia had enraged the Sea-Nymphs by comparing her own beauty to their's. In reprisal the Sea-Nymphs had sent a sea monster to ravage the coast. To appease the deities King Cepheus was directed to sacrifice his daughter - Andromeda - to the monster.

Above the cliff face and the chained Andromeda appears the figure of Perseus (son of Zeus ). After hunting down the three-sister Gorgons  (Sthenna, Euryale and Medusa) at the behest of his own King. Perseus slayes Medusa - cutting off her head, which he then bears as his own weapon, as whoever looks upon her is turned to stone.
Perseus is depicted in the sculpture bearing the head of Medusa in his left hand and his sword (with which he slayes the sea dragon) in his right hand. After the Rescue of Andromeda, Perseus claims Andromeda as his bride - as his reward for her rescue . . . and the legend continues.

Recommended reading: The Golden Age of Myth & Legend by Thomas
Bulfinch.  ISBN: 1-85326-307-9 WORDSWORTH