Jaffe Memorial Fountain
The Jaffe Memorial Fountain is a gilded cast-iron drinking fountain at the Victoria Street entrance to Victoria Square in Belfast. Sir Otto Jaffe raised it in 1874 in memory of his father, Daniel Joseph Jaffe, a merchant regarded as the founder of the city's Jewish community.
Photos
Denisa Ungureanu (Jiinxii)
A father's memorial
Daniel Joseph Jaffe was a German-born linen merchant who co-founded Jaffe Brothers and died in Nice in January 1874. His son Otto, later twice Lord Mayor of Belfast, commissioned the fountain soon after. It was cast at George Smith & Co's Sun Foundry in Glasgow and first stood in Victoria Square.
Moved, restored and returned
In 1933 the fountain was moved to the embankment near King's Bridge by the Botanic Gardens, where it slowly fell into disrepair. In 2007 it was dismantled, taken to Shropshire and restored, with layers of old paint analysed to recover its colours. It went back to Victoria Square on 14 February 2008.
What to look for
The canopy is a dome held up by eight columns, topped by a finial of scrolls, suns and stars pointing to the four compass directions. Look for the shell-shaped spouts and the four consoles that once held drinking cups on chains. It no longer supplies water, but it is a striking stop on a walk between Victoria Square, the Dome viewing gallery and the Cathedral Quarter. Allow ten minutes to walk round it and read the details.
Highlights
- Erected in 1874 by Sir Otto Jaffe
- Cast at the Sun Foundry, Glasgow
- Restored in 2007 and returned in 2008
- Gilded dome on eight columns
Good to know
- Outdoors and free to see at any time
- At the Victoria Street entrance to Victoria Square shopping centre
- No longer a working drinking fountain
Frequently asked questions
Nearby
Sources: patrickcomerford.com