The drinking fountain which you see outside the Wallace Collection building on Manchester Square to this day is only one of over two hundred so-called “Wallace Fountains” worldwide.
Image credit: © The Wallace Collection
Starting in 1872, Sir Richard Wallace installed the first fifty of these drinking fountains in Paris after he witnessed the rampant issue of alcoholism amongst the poverty-stricken of the city.
Image credit: © The Wallace Collection
The fountains are intricately adorned with symbols of four virtues – kindness, simplicity, charity and sobriety.
Image credit: © The Wallace Collection
These fountains remain beloved by many, as exemplified by the on-going Society of Wallace Fountains.
Image credit: © The Wallace Collection
You can start your own worldwide Wallace Fountain treasure hunt, with stops in Beijing, Brazil, Mozambique and more!