Bust

Kilburn head - 4 - Beethoven

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 - 4 - Beethoven

Subjects commemorated i

Ludwig van Beethoven

Composer. Born (we only have his baptism date) in Bonn (now Germany). His nin...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Kilburn head - 4 - Beethoven

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 - 4 - Beethoven

Also at this site i

Nearby Memorials

Morley mosaics - KEW - Hester Thrale

Morley mosaics - KEW - Hester Thrale

SE1, King Edward Walk, Morley College

These 10 portrait mosaics are the result of a project by Morley College to celebrate the achievements of significant women who have lived...

2 subjects commemorated, 3 creators
John Donne bust

John Donne bust

EC4, St Paul's Churchyard

The poetry on the base of the statue is from Donne’s 1613 poem ‘Good Friday—Riding Westward’. That on the shoulder is from 'A Letter to ...

1 subject commemorated, 4 creators
William Booth bust

William Booth bust

E1, Mile End Road, Mile End Waste

As so often, Ornamental Passions have a good post on this sculpture.

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
Charles Darwin bust

Charles Darwin bust

WC1, Gower Street, UCL Biological Sciences Building

This website gives more detailed information about the creation of the bust. In 2011, the Grant Museum moved from its previous location ...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Spencer Perceval bust - Pitzhangar

Spencer Perceval bust - Pitzhangar

W5, Mattock Lane, Pitzhanger Manor

Unusually neither of the memorials is visible in our photo of the location, but we hope you agree that the house is worthy of a picture f...

1 subject commemorated