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Secondary sourceSculpture1911 (original); 2006 (replica)

Victoria Palace Theatre Pavlova Statue

1911 (original); 2006 (replica)

A gilded statue of Pavlova has topped this London theatre since its 1911 opening, marking her fame at the height of her career.

A gilded statue of Pavlova has crowned this theatre since 1911, showing her fame at its height.

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Front view of the Victoria Palace Theatre in London, a white stone building with columns and a domed tower topped by a gold figure of a dancer. Red signs read Victoria Palace, and posters advertise Billy Elliot. Pedestrians and a bus lane are in the foreground under a blue sky.
Victoria Palace Theatre, London, with statue of Anna Pavlova (original 1911, replica 2006).

About this source

What it is

The Victoria Palace Theatre in Westminster, London, opened in 1911 with a gilded statue of Anna Pavlova placed above its cupola. The original statue was removed for safety during the Second World War and lost; a replica was installed in 2006.

Why it matters

Putting Pavlova's image on top of a major new West End theatre at its opening shows how famous she already was by 1911, and how theatre owners used her name to signal glamour and prestige. The loss and later replacement of the statue also reflects how wartime damage and modern restoration can change what survives from the past.

Look closer

  • Why would a theatre choose a dancer's statue, rather than an actor's, to crown its building?
  • What does it mean that the statue on the building today is a replica, not the original?
  • What does this building's long history of different shows tell you about how tastes in entertainment changed over the century?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Anna Pavlova on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Black and white still from the 1916 film The Dumb Girl of Portici. A woman in a dark draped gown stands in the foreground on a tiled floor, with her arms raised over her head. Behind her, a crowd of people in period costume gathers on steps before a classical painted mural with columns, and a woman in a light robe holds a tray of fruit above her head.Documentary

Primary source

The Dumb Girl of Portici

Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley · 1916

Oval painting of a woman with dark hair, wearing a white jeweled headpiece and white feathered costume with a dark blue gem at the bodice, against a dark brown background. Painted in loose, visible brushstrokes.Painting

Primary source

Anna Pavlova as 'The Dying Swan'

John Lavery · 1911

Sepia group photograph of about twenty young girls in costume posed against a painted backdrop with foliage. A cherub-like figure with wings stands at the top center. Some girls play violin and flute, one holds a birdcage, and two lie in the front, one reclining on the ground.Photograph

Primary source

Fairy Tale - Students of the Imperial Ballet School, 1891

Unknown photographer of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre · 1891

Painting of a ballerina in a white tutu standing on one pointed foot on a stone ledge, hands pressed together near her chest, head tilted back, eyes closed, against a dark, misty woodland background.Painting

Primary source

Anna Pavlova as Giselle

Alfred Eberling · 1906

Oval oil painting of a woman with dark hair wearing a jeweled white headdress and a white costume with feathery sleeves, against a dark brown background. Loose, visible brushstrokes; signature at lower right.Painting

Primary source

Anna Pavlova

John Lavery · 1911

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