The central gates of the marble arch, facing Buckingham Palace, were put
up in the summer of 1837: they were designed and cast by Samuel Parker,
then of Argyll-place--they are the largest and most superb in Europe,
not excepting the gates of the Ducal Palace at Venice, or of the Louvre
at Paris. Their material is a beautiful alloy, the base of which is
refined copper. Although cast, their enriched foliage and scroll-work
bear the elaborate finish of the finest chasing: the height of each gate
is twenty-five feet; width, seventeen feet, six inches; extreme
thickness, three inches; weight of each, two tons, thirteen cwt.; yet,
they are so beautifully hung, that a child might open and shut them.
They now terminate at the springing of the arch; but Mr. Parker had cast
for the heading a chaste frieze, and a design of the royal arms in the
central circle, flanked by state crowns: this portion was, however,
irretrievably mutilated by the Government removing the gates from the
foundry in a common stage-waggon, without due care to prevent their
breakage; yet the work cost, altogether, 3000 guineas!
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