Between 1862 and 1874, the Metropolitan Board of Works in London created the Thames Embankment by redeveloping a significant portion of the riverside. This project extended the shoreline by reclaiming land from the river and constructing new riverside walkways and gardens. One of the smaller details of this project was the manufacturing and installation of new lamps that would stand alongside the riverfront, lighting the path.

Three different iron lamp designs were proposed for the embankment. One design created by George Vulliamy, who was chief architect to the Metropolitan Board of Works, featured entwined dolphins at its base. A second design created by Joseph Bazalgette, who was chief engineer for the Board of Works, features a base with bent lion paws. These lamps are now common sights along the riverfront in London.

The third proposed design was the most ornate of the three. Created by Timothy Butler, the lamps feature two small children climbing the central shaft, passing a torch between them. Two cornucopias filled with fruit curve downwards from the central shaft, spilling their contents at the lamp’s base.

Ultimately, the board didn’t choose this third design for mass production. The main concern was that the design was too complex to reproduce accurately in the large numbers needed for the Embankment. However, two copies of this lamp standard still stand along the Thames Embankment in Chelsea.