Erection date: 14/5/1900
{Not known.}
In 1900 the shop John Lewis erected a new memorial on their building consisting of a bronze half-length profile of Byron placed in a large Portland-stone frame. This was placed on the second floor of the new frontage at No. 24. The figure was taken from a proof engraving of the painted portrait at Newstead Abbey. We were delighted to find this image, at Mediastorehouse.
It was destroyed in an air raid in 1940. Blitz Incidents have some photos of the aftermath, of which, images 2, 3 and 4, make it clear that this memorial would have been destroyed.
We thank Steve Roffey for the research at the Royal Society of Arts on which this entry is based.
Site: Lord Byron (4 memorials)
W1, Holles Street, John Lewis
In the world of plaques this is an important site since the first ever official plaque (our P1) was placed by the (Royal) Society of Arts on a house here. Just a shame that it was lost and that replacing it has proved so troublesome.
Over the years there have been 4 Byron memorials here, which we have imaginatively labelled: P1, P2, P3, P4.
We thank Steve Roffey for the research on which these pages are based. Prime sources: RSoA Journals, UCL Survey of London.
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