Erection date: 1980
{In the bottom left corner a waiter holds out a menu on which is written:}
Menu
Fitzrovia Mural, commissioned by Camden Council for the Fitzrovia community. Copyright 1980. Painted Art Works Co-op, Simon Barber, Mike Jones. Tel: 485 ???}
A montage of scenes, all relevant to the area at the time: construction activities, the Post Office tower, an angry cat, a TV screen advertising death-bringing cigarettes, footballers, some people around a table who are: ironing, reading a newspaper entitled Tower, reading a book and holding a pen (this is Dylan Thomas, apparently), Horace Cutler (then leader of the GLC) as a Dracula-like creature pointing at Council Hall plans for sky-scrapers, a window-cleaner, office workers using computer-like machines to churn out bills, a clockwork architect on roller-skates at a drawing board (we can't explain but it must be an interesting story), an innocent-looking boy, a tailor, a disk jockey, a man in a fur coat reaching for a stack of bank notes with dice and cards nearby, various men and women in non-European clothes, such as saris, some people in a pub, a man mixing a cocktail, people in a restaurant, nurses, one of whom is holding an umbrella over a pregnant woman getting into an ambulance, and the central section of traffic (pictured here).
There are various medical scenes which refer to the Middlesex Hospital.
Created in 1980. When Time Out compiled a list of London's best murals this came out number 1.
The two artists split the work with Jones on the top half and Barber lower down.
Londonist have examined the mural in more detail.
Site: Fitzrovia Mural (1 memorial)
W1, Tottenham Street, Whitfield Gardens
2010: the lower section of the mural is enhanced with extensive graffiti. We had heard that the mural was to be restored in September and now, November, the open space in front is undergoing works of some sort so perhaps the mural will be cleaned up. Fitzrovia News has some details.
By the time of the 2025 Londonist piece the mural had been restored and the colours refreshed.
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