John Bright Statue, Albert Square, Manchester

28 September 2019 · Manchester

Shot from pavement level, the John Bright statue rises off its granite pedestal into a breaking autumn sky. The low angle does what the sculptor intended — it restores the monument's authority, turning a familiar civic fixture into something that commands the square again. The cloud break behind the figure catches the eye before the inscription does, which is the right order: the man, then the dates.