Plaque

(lost) Sir Joshua Reynolds - Great Newport Street - lost

Inscription

Sir Joshua Reynolds, Artist, 1753 - 1761, lived here.

Site: Sir Joshua Reynolds - Great Newport Street (2 memorials)

WC2, Great Newport Street, 5, The Photographers Gallery

April 2016: Our colleague Alan Patient reports that this plaque is now lost, or, at the very least hidden, behind the large "White Space" sign which now covers the space between the bottom of the first windows and the top of the ground floor windows, across the whole width of the building.

This building carries another interesting item - Ray Davies told us about: “The Metropolitan Police Coat Hook used by officers directing traffic Long Acre / St Martins Lane, when they wore capes. It's the only one left and is used as a point of interest when black cab drivers are tested when learning 'The Knowledge”. Secret London writes: "This hook … was put here in the 1930s. Prior to that, a simple nail was used for hanging coats by police directing traffic at this busy junction. During redecoration works, the importance of the nail was pointed out by a passing policeman to a surveyor and this elegant hook appeared." The hook is to the right of the entrance to number 5. 2019: IanVisits pours some much-needed cold water on this hook, supported by a photo of the building in 1943. A similar story to "the hand" at the Tower of London.

2021:  The front of this building now looks very similar to how it did when we first visited and the original plaque has been replaced with a less interesting look-a-like. 

2023: Ian Visits reported that, shockingly, the police coat hook has lost its label, so it's now just a hook.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Sir Joshua Reynolds - Great Newport Street - lost

Subjects commemorated i

Sir Joshua Reynolds

Born in Plympton, Devonshire. Came to London in 1753. As a student of Italian...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Sir Joshua Reynolds - Great Newport Street - lost

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

PP - 4T - Coghlam

PP - 4T - Coghlam

EC1, Edward Street

This garden acquired its name due to its popularity as a lunchtime garden with workers from the nearby General Post Office (long gone). ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Sir Francis Galton

Sir Francis Galton

SW7, Rutland Gate, 42

Sir Francis Galton, 1822-1911, explorer, statistician, founder of eugenics, lived here for fifty years.

1 subject commemorated
Aston Webb at Whiteley Village

Aston Webb at Whiteley Village

KT12, Whiteley Village

This small enamel plaque looks as if it was installed when the cottages were first constructed. There may be eight versions of this littl...

3 subjects commemorated
Barnsbury Beech

Barnsbury Beech

N1, Barnsbury Park

We take this opportunity to thank the posties of London: not only do they do a great job delivering our letters but, on occasion, unwitti...

1 subject commemorated
Robert Owen

Robert Owen

WC1, Burton Place, 4

Robert Owen, 1771 - 1858, father of the Co-operative movement, lived here, 1832 - 1840. Marchmont Association One Housing

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators

Previously viewed

Caesar Czarnikow

Caesar Czarnikow

Sugar broker. Born Carl Julius Caesar Czarnikow in Sondershausen, Germany. He came to Britain in 1854, and established his sugar brokerage firm, C. Czarnikow, in 1862, which by the time of his deat...

Person, Commerce, Germany

1 memorial
John Francis Bentley

John Francis Bentley

SW4, Old Town, 43

At the time this address was 3, The Sweep, Old Town, Clapham Common.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Burlington House courtyard  - Joshua Reynolds

Burlington House courtyard - Joshua Reynolds

W1, Piccadilly, Royal Academy

This building is commonly known as the Royal Academy (of Arts). The wings of the building are occupied by a number of learned societies, ...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators