Bust

Kilburn head - 3 - Bach

Erection date: 1890

Site: Four musical heads - Kilburn (4 memorials)

NW6, Kilburn High Road, 70-72 Traid

We've numbered these heads left to right and identified them ourselves. Do let us know if you think otherwise. The building is very plain and these portrait octagons are not integrated into any design, just placed on the blank brick walls between the first floor windows, like an afterthought.

West Hampstead Life has the story on this building: In 1890 Alfred Phillips, already successfully publishing music and running a music shop at 43 Kilburn High Road (opposite what is now the modern Kilburn Library), bought numbers 70-72 Kilburn High Road. "He demolished the two existing shops and built one large warehouse with room for 70 pianos on the ground floor. The architect was E.A. Heffer and the builder H.B. Oldrey of Kilburn. Four composer’s heads (Bach, Handel, Mozart and Beethoven), are still visible at first floor level."

Without West Hampstead Life's list of the 4 busts we would not have been able to identify them.

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:
Kilburn head - 3 - Bach

Subjects commemorated i

Johann Sebastian Bach

German composer and musician of the Baroque period. Born into a musical family.

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Kilburn head - 3 - Bach

Created by i

Alfred Phillips

Composer, publisher, piano dealer. Alfred William Phillips was born in Whitec...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Kilburn head - 3 - Bach

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Nash at Church of All Souls

Nash at Church of All Souls

W1, Langham Place

This simple spire was heavily criticised in its day, even sparking a Parliamentary debate.

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
RIPWC - Barret

RIPWC - Barret

W1, Piccadilly, 192-196

The building by E. R. Robson was erected for the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour, founded in 1831 (the crest in the centre of...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Chaucer bust - SW1

Chaucer bust - SW1

SW1, Parliament Street, 48, Red Lion Inn

These two busts are above the second floor bay windows, Dickens on Parliament Street, Chaucer on the return in Derby Gate. The building ...

1 subject commemorated
Knightsbridge - 2 - Queen Alexandra

Knightsbridge - 2 - Queen Alexandra

SW1, Knightsbridge, 55 - 91

This huge building, Grade 2 listed and in need of a clean, is actually 18 buildings behind a unifying facade designed by W. D. Caroe, in ...

1 subject commemorated
George III at Trinity House

George III at Trinity House

EC3, Trinity Square

This building was erected during his reign.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator