Keystone

Carpenters' Hall - unknown

Site: Carpenters' Hall - heads (8 memorials)

EC2, London Wall, 1 Throgmorton Avenue

The building projects over the pavement with an arched colonnade for pedestrians. On the keystone of each arch, at the ends and along the length, there is a head in relief. The west side of the building has been joined to the building on the other side of Throgmorton Avenue with a bridge (see the building next door for a picture) and to the south of this bridge the building carries another keystone head. The bridge is a later addition and it seems likely that originally there were still more keystone heads where the bridge now is. Most of the keystones are helpfully inscribed on their underneath with a name identifying their head, but three are anonymous. Reading the photograph from left to right the heads are:
Soane
William of Wykeham
anonymous
anonymous but identified as Inigo Jones
anonymous satyr
Wren
Vanbrugh
Barry

Wren and Vanbrugh could be sharing the same wig. We've spotted that all the identified personages were architects so that narrows the field for the remaining unknown.

Under the bridge is the entrance to the building, around which there are three inscribed stones. Two of these are rather dull:
- a copy of the inscription of the foundation stone for the original building, laid in 1876,
- commemorating the opening of the Hall on 4 May 1960.
The third is the stone recorded here concerning the start of the rebuilding.

Above the door: SVRREXIT DOMVS, MCMLIX. Translation-guide renders this as "To get up household, 1959", but we get the idea.

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Carpenters' Hall - unknown

Also at this site i

Carpenters' Hall - Inigo Jones

Carpenters' Hall - Inigo Jones

This memorial used to be in Puzzle Corner until walking guide Ian Swankie poi...

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Carpenters' Hall plaque - rebuilding

Carpenters' Hall plaque - rebuilding

The plaque refers to the unveiling day being 'Election Day'. There was no Gen...

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Nearby Memorials

Hugo Wood keystone

Hugo Wood keystone

WC2, Southampton Buildings, Old Patent Office

But who is he? Is this his portrait? He looks rather wild. We can't identify him.

Arnold Morley keystone

Arnold Morley keystone

EC1, Edward Street, Nomura House

Morley opened this building. With the pupil-less eyes this looks like a death mask in contrast to the sighted Raikes' keystone on the eas...

1 subject commemorated
Nobel House - Dalton

Nobel House - Dalton

SW1, Smith Square, 17, Nobel House

Nobel House is in the south-east of this square, mainly facing north but with a short west-facing facade. The portrait keystones are both...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Carpenters' Hall - Wren

Carpenters' Hall - Wren

EC2, London Wall, 1 Throgmorton Avenue

The building projects over the pavement with an arched colonnade for pedestrians. On the keystone of each arch, at the ends and along the...

1 subject commemorated
Henry Raikes keystone

Henry Raikes keystone

EC1, St Martin's le Grand, Nomura House

Raikes was the Postmaster General who commissioned this building for the General Post Office. This portrait keystone was brought to our a...

1 subject commemorated