The statue of Sir Humphry Davy that overlooks Penzance's high street (Market Jew Street). The statue was erected in 1872, nearly 50 years after his death in 1829. Set in front of the Market House the position befits the contribution Davy made to science.
Whilst Davy's greatest contributions are regarded to have been in the realms of pure chemistry it is the application of this that he is best remembered locally. The Davy lamp allowed miners to work in the presence of flammable gases without the risk of explosion and saved countless lives.
