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Seated King at Holburn House |
Views from the secret world of our buses’ top decks
EVER sat upstairs in a double-decker bus driving through the capital and been amazed at the extraordinary display of monsters, dragons and “murderers” that exist, entirely forgotten, above the shops?
Islington man and former publisher turned author John R Murray has captured this fascinating world of historic architecture in a new book, London Above Eye Level: Glimpses Of The Unexpected.
The collection of photographs includes many from Islington, including an ornate dragon seen at Smithfield Market which decorates the front cover of the book.
There’s also the torch-bearing lady who stands proudly above the former Electric Cinema in Upper Street, said to be one of Britain’s oldest cinemas.
Mr Murray, from Vincent Terrace, whose family ran one of Britain’s oldest independent publishing dynasties, said that he was taught to look above the shops by the late great poet John Betjemen, a family friend.
“John took me for walks and told me exactly how to look and inspired in me the excitement for this treasure trove of architecture which most people miss,” he said.
“Then six years ago I decided I had to capture on film some of these wonderful figures in case they ever came under threat from developers.”
He said many of the facades at ground level have been ruined by the big stores, but above the awnings are the mysteries in stone.
Using a camera with a telephoto lens, he walked the City and West End capturing images, like the “murderers” who adorn the walls of Buckingham Palace Gardens.
They are six characters who appear to be angels treading down, garroting and stabbing devils.
“Every image is part of the original architecture,” said Mr Murray.
“I haven’t included anything that was put on afterwards.”
Other favourites include the RAC Club, where a child can be seen driving a car, and in Oxford Street there is a group of beavers adorning a building.
“I believe that modern architects could create more interest in their buildings if they also put images on them,” said Mr Murray.
“In Germany every new building has to have one and a half per cent of its cost spent on some form of art or craft adorning the building.”
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