Bust

Grosvenor Hotel - head 02 - Palmerston

Erection date: 1862

2018: Via Facebook (on head 3 page) Jackie Hoare directed us to the Telegraph article which mentions Palmerston as one of these heads. This one looks the most likely.

Site: Grosvenor Hotel - 14 heads (14 memorials)

SW1, Buckingham Palace Road, Grosvenor Hotel

This 1860 building, by architect James Knowles Snr, is studded with many portrait busts of which we believe only these 14 are representations of particular individuals. Given their facial features and rather exaggerated head-gear the others seem more to represent types: racial, or national, etc.  The 14 are on the central section of the Buckingham Palace Road elevation, facing to the right in our photo, in the first floor window spandrels.

However we have failed to identify most of these heads. Victoria was easy and she gave us Albert, on her left, but the 6 on each side are tough. The costumes help - a few indicating military men, and the togas presumably indicating politicians but the two with loose-collared shirts - artists? We wonder, did the Victorian populace of the 1860s enjoy this 'spot the celebrity' game? If you have an eye for faces please have a go and let us know who you find.

2018: Via a lead we've nominated one of the heads as Palmerston. 3 down, only 11 to go.

2023: We've noticed that the south elevation which is barely visible also has some roundels, certainly at the fourth floor. We can't see the first floor at all but that could also have some heads. Perhaps when the hotel was first erected this elevation was more visible. Since those on the north elevation are generic, we trust these are too.

One of the more interesting visitors to this hotel was Emile Zola.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Grosvenor Hotel - head 02 - Palmerston

Subjects commemorated i

Lord Palmerston

Born 4 Park Street (which is now 20 Queen Anne's Gate) as Henry John Temple. ...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Grosvenor Hotel - head 02 - Palmerston

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

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A. C. Coulson

A. C. Coulson

Worked at the Stock Exchange and died in WW2.

Person

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Lilian Gladys Hawkridge

Lilian Gladys Hawkridge

Member of the ARP/Civil Defence Services - nurse. Andrew Behan has kindly provided this research: Lilian Gladys Hawkridge was born on 12 March 1910 in Upton Park, the daughter of William James Haw...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Crunchy the Credit Crunch Monster
2 memorials
CI - 4 - Market

CI - 4 - Market

EC3, Cornhill, 32

The carved doors are at the right of the building, behind the cyclist in our picture.  According to Esoteric London these panels, listed ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Edward White

Edward White

Churchwarden of St John the Baptist upon Walbrook in 1884.  Given the shared surname we thought this might be the Reverend White's son, Edward, but he would have been only 11 in 1884 so it's not hi...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial