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Keystone

ICI - 1 - Cavendish

Inscription

Cavendish

Site: Imperial Chemical House - 9 portrait keystones (10 memorials)

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

For an idea of what this area used to be like see this . It was all redeveloped following the 1928 flood. This block was designed by Sir Frank Baines and built in 1929-31 as HQ for Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd (ICI). Aka 'Nobel House' it is now, 2016, occupied by Ofgem, the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets. The frontage boasts 9 portrait keystones of chemists and ICI directors: Cavendish is on the Horseferry Road frontage, Mendeleeff on the junction corner, the other 7 are on the river side, left to right: Lavoisier, McGowan, Nobel, Alfred Mond (ICI), Ludwig Mond, Priestley, Liebig. Each 5th floor keystone decorates an integrated window arrangement with the identifying name on the 4th floor balcony. In his book on London statues Osbert Sitwell reports a journalist  writing that these "masks" are "four times life-size" but he also writes that they are "seven storeys above the ground" so we have to allow for some exaggeration.

On the 5th floor are four magnificent statues by Charles Sergeant Jagger. See for photos. As well as these keystones Fagan did most of the other sculpture on the building, including the massive bronze entrance doors.

2017: We watched the 1947 film "Mine Own Executioner" which uses a few London locations. We recognised that of the last scene - a suicide at the top of a building - and thought it might be this one. But it's actually the MI5 building immediately to the south of Lambeth Bridge, Thames House, which was built by ICI at the same time as IC House and not used by MI5 until 1994.

There are two more portrait keystones on Nobel House, behind this building.

  has a useful assessment of this building, with photos of the sculptural work.

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This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
ICI - 1 - Cavendish

Subjects commemorated i

Henry Cavendish

Chemist. Born in Nice, France, to a British aristocratic family. Became a mem...

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This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
ICI - 1 - Cavendish

Created by i

William Bateman Fagan

Born Bermondsey. Andrew Behan's researches have found that when he was baptis...

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This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
ICI - 1 - Cavendish

Also at this site i

Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

Faraday on the ICI building entrance doors

These doors are in the centre of the river frontage of the building. Mapping...

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Nearby Memorials

Nobel House - Berthelot

Nobel House - Berthelot

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
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
Edward VI keystone

Edward VI keystone

EC4, New Bridge Street, 14

The original gatehouse together with the keystone form the entrance to the current building.

1 subject commemorated
Cadby Hall - 9 keystone heads - composers

Cadby Hall - 9 keystone heads - composers

W14, Hammersmith Road, Lyons Walk

Cadby Hall was built in 1873 as a piano factory. This picture comes from Cadby Hall: "Built to the design of Lewis H. Isaacs, Cadby Hall ...

ICI - 9 - Liebig

ICI - 9 - Liebig

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

For an idea of what this area used to be like see this 1894ish map. It was all redeveloped following the 1928 flood. This block was desig...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator