The Nelson Monument in Exchange Flags to the rear of Liverpool Town Hall had its origins in a Council meeting held in that very building in the year of 1805. The Lord Mayor, William Roscoe and other worthies met to send an address to the King lamenting the death of Nelson and at the same time congratulating the victory of Trafalgar. Out of this meeting the decision was made to appropriate funds from public subscription for a statue to commemorate both events. The resulting group of figures was unveiled seven years later. Richard Westmacott was the sculptor and he has created a work which is rich in allegory beginning with the figure of Lord Nelson in the Apotheosis group at the top. The great man is standing over the body of a fallen enemy raising his sword upon which Victory personified is placing a fourth crown to indicate Trafalgar. A captured flag covers Nelson's missing arm and half- hidden in its folds is a skeleton, Death reaching out to touch him at his greatest hour. Behind Nelson stands Britannia with bowed head. There is some confusion concerning the four manacled figures around the pedestal with some people offended by the references to Nelson having slaves. The "slaves" are in fact again allegories -this time representing Nelson's four great victories ; Cape St Vincent, The Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar. However, although the "slaves" have been misrepresented it is a fact that Liverpool played a part in the slave trade and it was on this site that the traders would exchange business cards with the flag of their slave ship on each card ------hence Exchange Flags.
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