Mural

Somers Town Mural

Inscription

{On a small information board:}
The mural in Polygon Street, NW1 depicts many historical London figures and deliberately uses various artistic influences. The diagram above, and the key below identify the main ones.
1 Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital
2 The Polygon
3 The Brick Kilns
4 Camden Town railway arches and drain
5 Mr Darke's dust heaps (where King's Cross station now stands)
6 Fleet River
7 Old St Pancras Church
8 The Brill
9 St Pancras Housing Association House (Edith Neville Cottages)
10 Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
11 Chimney sweep's boy
12 Charles Dickens and one of his characters, Dolly Varden
13 Father Basil Jellicoe and Mr Tattersall, the dustman's dust cart and Rose Dean, the flower seller
14 Head of Frankenstein
15 Mary Shelley
16 Percy Bysshe Shelley
17 Mary Wollstonecraft
18 William Godwin
19 Dr Monica Shaw
20 Irene Barclay
21 Edith Neville
22 Children from Sir William Collins School, Edith Neville School, St Mary and St Pancras School who worked on the derelict site in front of the mural

History of art references (figures taken from paintings, etc)
23 whole composition and Fleet River section based on Constable's Haywain, et al
24 Figures from Newgate: Committed for Trial by Frank Holl (19th century), Old Man and Casual Ward by Luke Fildes (1870s)
25 Figures from Work by Ford Madox Brown, 1860s
26 Lowryish industrial landscape and figures, 20th century
27 Stubbs's Haymaking, late 18th century
28 Figures based on Camden Town School of painters, c1912 (Sickert, Gore, Gillman, etc)

This mural was commissioned by the GLC in 1980 and moved to this site by St Pancras Housing after its original site was redeveloped for housing. It measures 33 by 44 feet.

Site: Somers Town Mural (1 memorial)

NW1, Polygon Road, School

St Mary & St Pancras Church of England Primary School.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Somers Town Mural

Subjects commemorated i

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Obstetric Hospital

The hospital's founder was Dr Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. This hospital prov...

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Frankenstein

Character created by Mary Shelley in her eponymous book. The Somers Town Mur...

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Dolly Varden

A character from Charles Dickens's novel "Barnaby Rudge".

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Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

Born in Whitechapel. She was the first female doctor to be trained in Britain...

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Sir John Barbirolli, C. H.

Conductor Laureate, Hallé Orchestra, and cellist.  Born Southampton Row, as G...

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Show all 19

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Somers Town Mural

Created by i

Greater London Council

Replaced the LCC. The GLC was abolished, some say, because Mrs Thatcher could...

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