LAHORE (Web Desk) – The bronze statue of former Punjab University Vice Chancellor and distinguished Sanskrit scholar Professor Alfred Cooper Woolner, installed on Lahore's Mall Road, is a significant work of art created by British sculptor Gilbert Ledward.
Ledward was the first recipient of Britain's prestigious Prix de Rome scholarship for sculpture and is regarded as one of the prominent British artists of the 20th century.
Prof Woolner arrived in Lahore in 1903 at the age of 25, where he served as Principal of Oriental College and Registrar of PU before later becoming the university's Vice Chancellor. Renowned Orientalist Prof T.W. Arnold played an important role in bringing Woolner to Lahore and recognised his academic abilities.
Woolner spent his entire professional career in the Indian subcontinent and passed away in January 1936. He was buried at Gora Cemetery on Jail Road in Lahore. Following his death, PU named several buildings and locations after him, including Woolner Hall and Woolner Hostel.
A proposal to install a statue in memory of the former Vice Chancellor was also put forward during this period. Initially, the university intended to allocate limited funds for the project, but Woolner's wife, Mary Emilie Bland, considered the amount insufficient and decided to finance the creation herself.
Mary Emilie commissioned Professor Gilbert Ledward of the Royal College of Art to create the sculpture. She supervised its progress through personal meetings and correspondence from Lahore's Nedous Hotel. Some of these letters are preserved in the PU archives, while others have been lost over time.
Born in 1888, Ledward studied at Goldsmiths College before attending the Royal College of Art. In 1913, he became the first sculptor to receive Britain's Prix de Rome scholarship, which enabled him to study fine arts in Italy.
After the First World War, Ledward created several war memorials across Britain, including monuments in London, Blackpool and other cities. He received the highest honour of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and later served as its president. In 1956, he was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Ledward completed two statues of Woolner in 1937. One is preserved in Britain, while the other was unveiled in Lahore by the Governor of Punjab at that time, Sir Herbert Emerson, on March 1, 1937. It was formally installed on May 28, 1938.
The bronze statue stands approximately eight feet nine inches tall and depicts Woolner in a dignified and composed manner, reflecting his scholarly personality. It is regarded as an important reminder of Lahore's historical heritage and its British-era architecture and sculpture.
Mary Emilie Bland died in Britain in 1944, while Gilbert Ledward passed away in London in 1960. In one of her later letters, Mary described the Woolner statue as one of the most significant achievements of her life.