Imperial Theft and Travel

I discovered this marble fountain while searching for something blue for yesterdays post. I had no idea it existed, and have never heard about it before. It sits, tucked away from the pavement, behind some railings, on the Broadwalk (as mentioned yesterday). It is the Imperial Fountain, also known as the Napoleon Fountain, and it was stolen from Italy by the French in 1800. It was then taken by the English while it was on its way to France. The fountain was then sold to Thomas Henney, a Solicitor from Cheltenham. In 1826 Henney installed it in Imperial spa, now the site of The Queens Hotel. In 1834 the water feature was on the move again, this time up the road to Montpellier Gardens. It stayed in its new home until 1902 when it was restored and moved, again, to the Town Hall. Not done with all the moving about, it then travelled to the Public Library in 1926. It is now owned by the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, and is on loan to the Council as part of their public art scheme. So, at the moment, the Imperial Fountain is back where it started out in 1826. I hope the Italians don't come looking for it!

Theme Day - Blue

It's my first attempt at the City Daily Photo Blog theme day. I must admit that I found it quite a challenge, but I guess that is one of the reason to do it! This blue door isn't just any old blue door. It it a blue door on a building that was designed in the 1830's but not built until 1998. The lost plans for the remaining Regency terraces' alongside the Queens Hotel, on the South side of Imperial Gardens, were discovered in The Municipal Buildings in the 1990's. The Plans were refined to include underground parking and construction began. When The Broadwalk was built it completed the look of Imperial Gardens. Better late than never. Check out the other daily photo blogs around the world that have joined in with the theme day.

Boston (MA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Portland (OR), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Arradon, France - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Stockholm, Sweden - Singapore, Singapore - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Toulouse, France - The Hague, Netherlands - Moscow, Russia - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Stayton (OR), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Detroit (MI), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Hyde, UK - Radonvilliers, France - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Manila, Philippines - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Saarbrücken, Germany - New Orleans (LA), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Forks (WA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Barton (VT), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Joplin (MO), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Quincy (MA), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Inverness (IL), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - Toruń, Poland - North Bay (ON), Canada - Le Guilvinec, France - Chateaubriant, France - London, England - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Sydney, Australia - Austin (TX), USA - Mumbai, India - Boston (MA), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Paderborn, Germany - Montréal (QC), Canada - Jackson (MS), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Orlando (FL), USA - Grenoble, France - Cheltenham, UK - Forks (WA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Weston (FL), USA - London, UK - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Belgrade, Serbia - Paris, France - Shanghai, China - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Montpellier, France - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Auckland, New Zealand - Evry, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Oslo, Norway - Minneapolis (MN), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Trujillo, Peru - Trujillo, Peru - Melbourne (VIC), Australia - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Durban, South Africa - Brussels, Belgium - Anderson (SC), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Wellington, New Zealand - Prague, Czech Republic - Saigon, Vietnam - Ystad, Sweden