Other

Bracken House

Inscription

{Winston's face is at the centre of a golden sunburst. This is surrounded by gilded signs of the zodiac, on an azure background. Outside this are the names of the 12 months, then the 12 hours in Roman numerals and then the digits 5, 10, etc. up to 60. The day of the month is displayed in a window below Winston's face. There is another window to the upper right whose function is not clear. We believe the different rings of the clock rotate so that the clock is read by just looking at what is currently at the top, where noon normally is on a more mundane time-piece.}

According to the very interesting London Sundials this is "not a sundial but an unusual astronomical sundial related clock "
Designed by Frank Dobson and Philip Bentham in 1959.

Site: Bracken House (1 memorial)

EC4, Cannon Street, 10, Bracken House

Building designed by Sir Albert Richardson to house the Financial Times and the pink brick and sandstone was chosen accordingly.  From London Sundials : "This building (1955-1959) is named after Bernard Bracken, former chairman of the Financial Times, which was published here until the 1980s. The building was among the first post-war buildings in the City to be listed and its redevelopment retained the entire outside facade, including the elegant astronomical clock approximately 1 metre in diameter bearing at its centre a face of Winston Churchill, a personal friend of Bernard Bracken.  Bracken ran the Ministry of Information, supposedly the model Orwell used for his Ministry of Truth, and some say the initials of Big Brother are no coincidence.

The work of Philip Bentham in gilt metal and enamel, it has echoes of the formality and sophistication of a dial. Embellished with Roman numerals, it depicts months of the year, signs of the zodiac and a sunburst motif."

London Details has an excellent post about this building, its listing and its 1987 partial redevelopment.  And another one about Brendan Bracken.

2019: The FT returns to a newly renovated Bracken House.

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:
Bracken House

Subjects commemorated i

Winston Churchill

Prime Minister 1940 - 45 and 1951 - 55. Born Blenheim Palace, near Woodstock,...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Bracken House

Created by i

Frank Dobson

Sculptor. CBE, RA. Born at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, Marylebone Road, Londo...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Mosaics - emblem

Mosaics - emblem

EC4, New Change, One New Change - roof terrace

The star is surrounded by an English rose, a Scots thistle, an Irish clover sprig and a Welsh daffodil. This mosaic, the right most, doe...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Virtues - Open Mind

Virtues - Open Mind

WC2, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery - Staircase Hall - North Vestibule

Earl Jowitt, in his Lord Chancellor robes and wig, raises both hands, palms towards us. Behind him stand two carved figures: that on the ...

1 subject commemorated
Hyde Park Barracks - Victorian

Hyde Park Barracks - Victorian

SW7, South Carriage Drive, Hyde Park Barracks

This pediment comes from the Victorian barracks. From British History Online - Victorian barracks: “The riding-school's front to Hyde Par...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Old Church Garden - Wesley tomb

Old Church Garden - Wesley tomb

W1, Marylebone High Street

We don't normally include graves but since this has been moved it is now effectively a memorial.

4 subjects commemorated
South Bank mosaic - Wollstonecraft

South Bank mosaic - Wollstonecraft

SE1, South Bank Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hall / Purcell Room

Mary's mosaic is the most elaborate of the 10 here but by bad luck it has been placed in direct line of some rusty, sludgy drips from the...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator