Keystone

ICI - 4 - McGowan

Inscription

Harry McGowan

Site: Imperial Chemical House - 9 portrait keystones (10 memorials)

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

For an idea of what this area used to be like see this 1894ish map. It was all redeveloped following the 1928 flood. This block was designed by Sir Frank Baines and built in 1929-31 as HQ for Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd (ICI). Aka 'Nobel House' it is now, 2016, occupied by Ofgem, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. The frontage boasts 9 portrait keystones of chemists and ICI directors: Cavendish is on the Horseferry Road frontage, Mendeleeff on the junction corner, the other 7 are on the river side, left to right: Lavoisier, McGowan, Nobel, Alfred Mond (ICI), Ludwig Mond, Priestley, Liebig. Each 5th floor keystone decorates an integrated window arrangement with the identifying name on the 4th floor balcony. In his book on London statues Osbert Sitwell reports a journalist  writing that these "masks" are "four times life-size" but he also writes that they are "seven storeys above the ground" so we have to allow for some exaggeration.

On the 5th floor are four magnificent statues by Charles Sergeant Jagger. See A London Inheritance for photos. As well as these keystones Fagan did most of the other sculpture on the building, including the massive bronze entrance doors.

2017: We watched the 1947 film "Mine Own Executioner" which uses a few London locations. We recognised that of the last scene - a suicide at the top of a building - and thought it might be this one. But it's actually the MI5 building immediately to the south of Lambeth Bridge, Thames House, which was built by ICI at the same time as IC House and not used by MI5 until 1994.

There are two more portrait keystones on Nobel House, behind this building.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
ICI - 4 - McGowan

Subjects commemorated i

Harry McGowan

Born Glasgow. Aged 15 he joined Nobel's Explosives Company and worked his way...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
ICI - 4 - McGowan

Created by i

William Bateman Fagan

Born Bermondsey. Andrew Behan's researches have found that when he was baptis...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
ICI - 4 - McGowan

Also at this site i

Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

These doors are in the centre of the river frontage of the building. Mapping...

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ICI - 5 - Nobel

ICI - 5 - Nobel

Alfred Nobel

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Nearby Memorials

ICI - 3 - Lavoisier

ICI - 3 - Lavoisier

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

For an idea of what this area used to be like see this 1894ish map. It was all redeveloped following the 1928 flood. This block was desig...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Carpenters' Hall - Wren

Carpenters' Hall - Wren

EC2, London Wall, 1 Throgmorton Avenue

The building projects over the pavement with an arched colonnade for pedestrians. On the keystone of each arch, at the ends and along the...

1 subject commemorated
Arnold Morley keystone

Arnold Morley keystone

EC1, Edward Street, Nomura House

Morley opened this building. With the pupil-less eyes this looks like a death mask in contrast to the sighted Raikes' keystone on the eas...

1 subject commemorated
Carpenters' Hall - Vanbrugh

Carpenters' Hall - Vanbrugh

EC2, London Wall, 1 Throgmorton Avenue

The building projects over the pavement with an arched colonnade for pedestrians. On the keystone of each arch, at the ends and along the...

1 subject commemorated
Cadby Hall - 9 keystone heads - composers

Cadby Hall - 9 keystone heads - composers

W14, Hammersmith Road, Lyons Walk

Cadby Hall was built in 1873 as a piano factory. Our picture comes from Cadby Hall: "Built to the design of Lewis H. Isaacs, Cadby Hall w...

Previously viewed

John Keats - NW3

John Keats - NW3

NW3, Keats Grove, Keats House

Here he wrote "Ode to a nightingale" after falling in love with a neighbour's daughter, Fanny Brawne. Nice post on a visit here from Spi...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
St Luke's - 1698

St Luke's - 1698

EC1, Old Street

The facade of this building tells the history of the school. Each of the 4 gable ends carries a plaque with a dated event, reading from l...

1 subject commemorated
Dr. Louisa Garrett Anderson

Dr. Louisa Garrett Anderson

Born Aldeburgh, Suffolk. CBE MD. Daughter of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and niece of Millicent Fawcett. Suffragette. Established and ran the Endell Street Military Hospital. The picture shows Ander...

Person, Gender Issues, Medicine

2 memorials
Eric Sykes

Eric Sykes

W2, Orme Court, 9

Sykes' family unveiled this plaque just 3 days after the first anniversary of his death. A plaque for Spike Milligan (unveiled by Sykes)...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Chelsea civilians killed in  WW2

Chelsea civilians killed in WW2

SW3, Dovehouse Green

In remembrance of 457 civilians killed in Chelsea by enemy action 1939-1945.

4 subjects commemorated