The Mansion House collection is administered by Guildhall Art Gallery and here are the sculptures that are on site at Mansion House.

The idea of marble statues for the Mansion House was first raised in 1850 at a banquet for Prince Albert attended by the Royal Commissioners for The Great Exhibition. The Egyptian Hall was noted as being "very deficient in embellishment" with temporary exhibits being placed in the niches during important events.

The General Purposes Committee proposed commissioning statues themed from the works of English poets which were recommended to the Court of Common Council. After a comprehensive selection process and visits to the artists' workshops all the statues were put in place in 1863. Each one weighs in the region of three quarters of a ton and is seven feet tall.