March 1878: Cleopatra’s Needle obelisk comes to London

Almost 140 years ago this month, an iconic antiquity appeared in The Engineer. Having arrived into London in January 1878 after a tumultuous journey, Cleopatra’s Needle was the centre of much attention. By March, a decision had been made on the location where it was to be sited, much to the chagrin of our predecessors.

“We regret that, in defiance of good taste, it has been decided to erect the obelisk on the Thames Embankment,” wrote The Engineer in 1878. “We have spoken so frequently and so strongly on the selection of a site, that we shall not further refer to the subject now.”

We’ve been unable to ascertain exactly what ignited the protests of our forebears, but the issue appears to be one of form rather than function.

“It is well to know… that no objection can be urged on engineering grounds to the position secured on the Embankment; in other words, there is no fear that the monolith will tumble into the river, bringing a large section of the Embankment with it.”