Eros, Piccadilly Circus

The winged statue perched above Piccadilly Circus, popularly called Eros, actually depicts Anteros and forms the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, unveiled in 1893 to honour the philanthropist Lord Shaftesbury. Cast in aluminium, then a novel and costly metal, it was among the first statues made from it. The archer's bow was originally aimed down Shaftesbury Avenue as a pun on the earl's name. Surrounded by illuminated hoardings, the fountain is a traditional meeting point in the West End theatre district.