Bust

Cornhill head 2

Site: Four portrait heads (4 memorials)

EC3, Cornhill, 66-67

These 4 portrait medallions are above the ground floor windows. We have numbered them left to right (west to east); two men and two women, from their costumes, c.1500-1700. But are they portraits or generic ornamental heads? Nowhere can we find any serious discussion on these heads, let alone identifications.

British Architects inform that this 1880 building, designed by Thomas Chatfeild Clarke (note the unusual spelling), was commissioned by the London and Lancashire Life Assurance Company.

Claxity examine this Listed Grade II building closely but make no comment on the relief heads. "The current building was commissioned by the London & Lancashire Life Assurance Co. which was based here until the late 1920s.  This company operated under various guises from 1862 to 2007, having been absorbed the Commercial Union in 1968. From 1930 to 1958, this building housed the London offices of the Yorkshire Insurance Company and was known as York House.  Established in 1824 and trading for much of its history under the emblem of York Minster, it was absorbed in 1968 by General Accident assurance.  The descendants of both those insurers ultimately have flowed into the Aviva insurance conglomerate."

in June 2021, thinking that the heads looked like copies of paintings, we asked the National Portrait Gallery if they could help. They kindly replied, saying that none of the heads were familiar to them.

We have to assume that the lack of any information identifying the heads probably means they are not intended to be identifiable portraits. But let us know if you think differently.

The building's left-most bay is built over a passageway into Sun Court. Hanging above the entrance to this passage is a bright sign, showing our Head 3 and 'Sun Court'.  Just a graphical whim or a choice that means something?

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:
Cornhill head 2

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Duchess of Kent

Duchess of Kent

N1, Prebend Street, 32, Duchess of Kent pub

We identified which particular Duchess of Kent is represented by finding the painting on which the portrait is based at baltyra but the ...

1 subject commemorated
Old Westminster Library - head 2- Shakespeare

Old Westminster Library - head 2- Shakespeare

SW1, Great Smith Street

The foundation stone is immediately to the right of the central entrance. Above the entrance: "Westminster Public Library, The united pa...

1 subject commemorated
Friday

Friday

SW17, Trevelyan Road, Norfolk House

c.2012: Brought to our attention by Clive Yelf on his always interesting blog, Faded London which seems to have folded. Wanting to establ...

1 subject commemorated
Morley mosaics - KEW - Jude Kelly

Morley mosaics - KEW - Jude Kelly

SE1, King Edward Walk, Morley College

These 10 portrait mosaics are the result of a project by Morley College to celebrate the achievements of significant women who have lived...

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
Morley mosaics - KEW - Hester Thrale

Morley mosaics - KEW - Hester Thrale

SE1, King Edward Walk, Morley College

These 10 portrait mosaics are the result of a project by Morley College to celebrate the achievements of significant women who have lived...

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators