Mural

Spirit of Soho Mural

Erection date: 1991

Inscription

{On a nearby steel information panel:}
The Spirit of Soho mural was created by the Soho community and completed in 1991. It shows Soho life and is dedicated to the people of Soho. The mural depicts St Anne presiding over local notables; her skirt and petticoats show the map of Soho, craftsmen and London landmarks. Framed underneath are the portraits of Soho's many famous figures. Dogs and hares are interspersed which represent a time when Soho was a Royal hunting ground.

Restored in 2006 by Shaftesbury PLC and The Soho Society, the clock was re-activated by The Lord Mayor of Westminster 19th October 2006. Don't miss: When the clock strikes on the hour: watch actress and opera singer Theresa Cornelys winks at Casanova, Casanova blows a series of kisses to Cornelys and Karl Marx takes a sip of Coca Cola.

{A key to the characters depicted consists of a numbered graphic with each portrait in simple outline plus a numbered list of names.}

Interesting that Coca Cola are specifically mentioned on the panel but not as a sponsor. The hourly entertainment provided by the clockwork mechanism is subtle, even minimal - Fortnum and Masons this ain't.

The spelling of some of the personage's names in the key is a little off: we've assumed that Edmund Keene refers to Edmund Kean.

Site: Spirit of Soho Mural (1 memorial)

W1, Broadwick Street

The flame-haired St Anne holds out her skirt on which is depicted a map of Soho. Crowded below her lacey, fruity hem are some of the famous characters connected with the area. To left and right are six scenes representing a film animator in his studio (possibly Bob Godfrey), the fashion trades, food and international restaurants (pictured), the Palladium, Carnaby Street and Ronnie Scott's.

A green border at the bottom carries little pictures of, left to right:
Soho parish school
a dog and hare standing on a Union Jack
a Willow Pattern dish
Soho Street Theatre - presented by Alternative Arts

In the frame, along the bottom edge, blue plaques, reading, left to right:
BSI, Business Sponsorship Incentive Scheme
Sponsored by City of Westminster
Goldsmiths & silversmiths
Gunmakers
Jewellers & clockmakers
Furniture & woodworkers
Engravers
Science & medicine
Commissioned & sponsored by Wereldhave
FreeForm 1991. Designed & made by Freeform Arts Trust Ltd

2020: Dominic Delargy has drawn our attention to Soho Bites which has podcasts about (at our last count) 15 of the people on the mural. One of those podcasts raised the question: Verlaine but not Rimbaud?

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:
Spirit of Soho Mural

Subjects commemorated i

Henry Angelo

Fencing master. Born St James's Place, Piccadilly. Briefly took over his fath...

Read More

John Logie Baird

Born in "The Lodge" in Helensburgh, near Glasgow. Inventor of mechanical tele...

Read More

Mrs Bateman

We initially identified the Mrs Bateman on the mural as the wife of Sidney Fr...

Read More

William Beckford, Alderman

Lord Mayor of London 1762 and 1769. Born Jamaica. Inherited a fortune from th...

Read More

Brendan Behan

Poet, writer, playwright. Born Dublin. Irish republican and, aged 16 - 23, vo...

Read More

Show all 55

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Spirit of Soho Mural

Created by i

Freeform Arts Trust

Free Form is unique in providing the full range of arts and creative services...

Read More

Wereldhave

A leading independent property company with an internationally diversified re...

Read More

Westminster City Council

The ancient parish of St Margaret's was divided into St Margaret's and St Joh...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

The Beatles - Paul & George

The Beatles - Paul & George

WC1, Argyle Square, 38, The Melville Hotel

This mural depicts the 4 mop tops around two walls of the front area. We spent some entertaining time on Trip Adviser for this tourist ho...

2 subjects commemorated
Hitchcock birds

Hitchcock birds

E11, Leytonstone High Road, 517, Jet petrol station

Oh, this is so good - an ideal homage to Hitch's penchant for appearing in his films but in a way that you may miss him completely, like ...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators
Mosaic House, back - Angola Three

Mosaic House, back - Angola Three

W4, Cunnington Street

The Angola Three arch is above the first floor window on the left. The Kenny ‘Zulu’ Whitmore flying eyeball is at the right below the 2nd...

3 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Cable Street mural - Mosley

Cable Street mural - Mosley

E1, Cable Street, St George's Town Hall, east wall

There must be a story to explain why Mosley is shown in his underwear, but we don't know it. See our main Cable Street mural page for de...

2 subjects commemorated
Hiroshima - College Place - mural

Hiroshima - College Place - mural

NW1, College Place

In 2022 Geoff Staden kindly sent us the photo of the mural and the following text explaining how it came about: "Our peace mural in Crow...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators

Previously viewed

Barking Lord Scruff

Barking Lord Scruff

Music critic, dog poet, photographic model and all round good egg.

Animal, Animals

1 memorial