Plaque

(lost) Lord Byron - P2, first John Lewis plaque

Erection date: 14/5/1900

Inscription

{Not known.}

In 1900 John Lewis erected a new memorial on their building consisting of a bronze half-length profile of Byron placed in an ornate 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.

The building was destroyed in an air raid on 18 September 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.

Imogen at the archive told us that after the war until 1960 the JL buildings on Holles Street were rather temporary so it’s unlikely that there was any memorial to Byron during this time.

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.

Also, in July 2025 we visited the JLP Heritage Centre in Cookham where Archivist Imogen was immensely helpful and provided some extra details to our understanding.  She added that at various times John Lewis has used the Byron connection in its branding: c.1900 a portrait of Byron was included on the firm’s letterhead and then in the 1950s the foyer of the Byron Room Restaurant (the partners’ dining room we think) was decorated with a mural representing Byron’s life.

Sources include: UCL Bartlett.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Lord Byron - P2, first John Lewis plaque

Subjects commemorated i

Lord Byron

Born Holles Street, baptised at St Marylebone church in the same year. Spent ...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Lord Byron - P2, first John Lewis plaque

Created by i

John Lewis Partnership

Retail group. Founded by John Spedan Lewis after his father John Lewis gave h...

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John Edward Taylerson

John Edward Taylerson was born in Durham and christened on 13 January 1855. B...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Lord Byron - P2, first John Lewis plaque

Also at this site i

Lord Byron - P1, first blue plaque

Lord Byron - P1, first blue plaque

Byron was born in Holles Street.  House number 24 was the location for the fi...

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Lord Byron - P3, non standard plaque

Lord Byron - P3, non standard plaque

Imogen at the archive confirms that this unusual plaque was on site until at ...

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Lord Byron - P4, Westminster plaque

Lord Byron - P4, Westminster plaque

Unveiled on National Poetry Day by JLP MD Simon Fowler and Westminster Mayor ...

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