Sculpture

Carved mice

Erection date: 1862

Cabbies are attempting to propagate a myth that these mice commemorate two builders who died while working on the nearby Monument.  We can find no reputable evidence for this (and we well remember the stories that cabbies spread about one of the Noses of Soho being in honour of Wellington). Why would the Victorians who put up this building want to commemorate two dead construction workers from the 17th century? How did they even know of their existence? Is this the type of memorial for which the Victorians are renowned (compare and contrast the Albert Memorial)? So it's still an open question why these mice are here, and what, if anything, they commemorate.

Site: Mice and shells (2 memorials)

EC3, Philpot Lane, 13

The mice are at ground floor cornice level at the juncture between number 13 Philpot Lane (Jamies) and 23 Eastcheap (Caffe Nero). The shells are on number 13, below the ground floor cornice. Italian gothic in style, the two addresses are parts of the same, listed, building. Geograph has a fine photo and architectural appreciation and says "It was built in 1861-62 as offices and warehousing for Messrs Hunt & Crombie, spice merchants. The architects were John Young & Sons." Which confirms the contents of two of the shells, and we have no reason to doubt the third.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Carved mice

Also at this site i

Shells

Shells

This type of information is not normally recorded on this type of building. ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Fred Kormis sculpture

Fred Kormis sculpture

NW6, Queen's Park

Donated to Queen’s Park by Reg Freeson.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Salters' cat - SE16 statue

Salters' cat - SE16 statue

SE16, Bermondsey Wall East, Cherry Gardens

The multi-part sculpture is called 'Dr Salter's Daydream' and shows the whole Salter family. The scene is poignant in that Joyce died at ...

2 creators
Roman boat - Guys Cancer Centre

Roman boat - Guys Cancer Centre

SE1, Great Maze Pond, Guy's Cancer Centre

A boat or a particularly vicious knuckle-duster? We have assumed that the Boat was erected/unveiled on the day that the building was ope...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
Great Maze Pond - Guys - 2 staff

Great Maze Pond - Guys - 2 staff

SE1, Great Maze Pond

In our photo the three iron-work panels can just be seen on the railings in front of the lady with the suitcase. In all honesty only the...

Stock exchange war memorial - St Michael & St George

Stock exchange war memorial - St Michael & St George

EC4, Rose Street, Stock Exchange building, Paternoster Square

Thomas Brock: Forgotten Sculptor of the Victoria Memorial provides a photo of the St Michael and St George statues that were originally p...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

Breakfast Time

Breakfast Time

British television's first national breakfast television programme, Produced by the BBC it was revolutionary for the time, mixing hard news with light-hearted features. The presenters, typically wo...

Media, TV & Radio

1 memorial
Joseph Russell

Joseph Russell

Islingtonian who died in the South African War, 1899-1903

Person, South Africa

War dead, Other war
1 memorial
Powderhall Bronze

Powderhall Bronze

From the website: "We offer a full Consultancy and Production Service taking original artwork through from production to installation on site." Based in Edinburgh.

Group, Craft / Design, Scotland

1 memorial
PC William Frederick Tyler

PC William Frederick Tyler

William Frederick Tyler was the third child of Alfred Tyler (1853-1900) and his first wife, Susan Tyler née Fenn (1852-1883). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1877 in the Hendon, Midd...

Person, Emergency Services, Tragedy

1 memorial
LSHTM - Gorgas

LSHTM - Gorgas

WC1, Gower Street, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

This listed building was designed by Vernor Rees in 1926, one of the first steel-framed buildings ever erected. The balconies are decorat...

1 subject commemorated