A good Wedgwood Parian bust of the engineer George Stephenson

A good Wedgwood Parian bust of the engineer George Stephenson from the sculptor Wyon and dated 1858.

The bust is marked on the socle with Art Union of London.

The great railway engineer George Stephenson (1781 – 1848), father of Robert, was a pioneer of transport by rail. The rail gauge chosen by George (the Stevenson gauge) is used today worldwide. 

The railways were originally developed to carry coal and other mined products from the mines to the ports but were soon used to carry passengers. George’s engine,  the Locomotion No. 1, was the first steam locomotive to carry passengers on a public rail line, the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. George realised that the more level the railways were, the more cost-effective they were. He developed ways of building level railway tracks and was responsible for the first public railway line in the world to use locomotives between cities, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which opened in 1830. George continued to work as chief engineer on many other railway projects throughout the rest of his life. He collaborated with his son Robert on the development of the famous and award-winning Rocket locomotive (with acknowledgement to Wikipedia).

Height 36½cm (14½“).

This bust is illustrated in the “Parian Phenomenon” page 197 figure 654.

Condition: Excellent. A small stain at the front lower fold.