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See & Do

Charles Wheeler

The archive of Charles Wheeler (1892-1974) consists primarily of 500 photographs, as well as over twenty speeches, lectures, and other writing, and nine appointment diaries.

Sepia photo of a white man with brown hair working on a plaster sculpture. He is wearing a suit and bow tie, with overalls over the top, and there is a ladder behind him. He holds a modelling tool in his right hand, which is raised up close to the sculpture. He is twisted away from his work to look directly at the camera. The sculpture he is working on is a larger-than-life size portrait bust of a woman. There is an owl perched on each of her shoulders. The sculpture looks architectural in nature, like it will adorn the front of a building.

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Black and white photo of a bronze sculpture of an idealised male nude. The figure is standing, with elbows bent and hands raised to just above the hips. The sculpture is shown outdoors, mounted on a white stone plinth in which the words 'WHEELER 43' are carved.

Black and white photo of a bronze sculpture of a slim female nude. The figure is standing in a relaxed pose, with the left leg slightly further forward and the heel raised, as if she is about to take a step forward. The sculpture is shown indoors against a white wall, mounted on a white plinth.

Black and white photo of a fountain sculpture. It comprises a merman leaning forwards, holding a dolphin in his outstretched left hand, while another fish, small dolphin, and young mer-person swim around him.

Black and white photo of a fountain sculpture. It comprises a naked child with arms raised, balanced on its left leg on top of a ball. The ball is mounted on a tall, square column, which is decorated with various relief sculptures (from top to bottom): a pan flute, a face, a child riding a goat, a bird, a frog. Behind the fountain, there is a large sculpture of a duck facing away, with a climbing frame behind that, and trees in the distance.

Black and white photo of the Bank of England, a large, seven storey building. The front has been styled to resemble classical Greek or Roman buildings, with ornate columns holding up the roof. Several figurative sculptures adorn the lower part of the building, situated between the windows, each standing around eight feet tall.

Sepia photo of the front of the Royal Academy, a large brick built building, taken in the 1950s. Many cars are parked outside. A sign on the front of the building reads 'The Summer Exhibition | Royal Academy of Arts | Sir Winston S. Churchill. Hon. R.A.'.

Black and white photo of a room full of old white men. On the left, two men stand holding up a painting that is resting on a stool; it is facing away from the camera, so we can't see what is painted on it. Thirteen other men are sat in a semi-circle around, judging the painting.

About the artist

Charles Wheeler (1892-1974) was born just outside Wolverhampton and went to the city to attend the College of Art. He received a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in 1912, studying under Edouard Lanteri. Classified as unfit for active service during the First World War, Wheeler instead modelled artificial limbs for war amputees.

Wheeler worked mainly with bronze and stone, and became well known for his architectural sculpture. In perhaps his most famous architectural work, Wheeler designed the external sculptures for the Bank of England building in London, from 1928-37.

Another iconic public work created by Wheeler is the fountain sculptures in Trafalgar Square, dedicated to Admiral Jellicoe. Other well-known public works include sculptures for Rhodes House, India House and South Africa House. He worked closely with the architect Herbert Baker on all of these projects, as he did with the Bank of England building.

Throughout his career, Wheeler exhibited frequently at the Royal Academy of Arts, and in 1956 he became the first sculptor to hold the position of President of the Royal Academy.

What’s in the collection?

The archive consists primarily of 500 photographs showing the work and career of Wheeler. These document a wide range of his sculpture and paintings from the 1920s onwards.

Further material from the archive includes over twenty speeches, lectures, writings, transcripts of interviews, press cuttings and a small collection of letters. There are also nine appointment diaries, 1957-1968, covering the period when Wheeler was President of the Royal Academy.