Charles Wheeler

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.

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