Let’s get nosey around London’s iconic streets and find the legendary noses of Soho
In 1997, 35 sculptures of noses appeared on the most famous streets and popular important buildings in London such as The National Gallery, Tate Britain, Piccadilly Circus, South Bank Centre, and St Pancras Station.
The origins of these noses remained a mystery until 2011, when the Hackney based artist Rick Buckley came forward in an exclusive Evening Standard interview, revealing the true story behind this ingenious guerrilla art installation.
In 1997, the rapid spread of CCTV systems created controversy in the United Kingdom and London especially, so Rick decided to protest the infringement of liberty and the emergence of a “Big Brother” society by sticking the sculptures right “under the nose” of the prospering surveillance system. The artist was inspired by a group of artists from the mid-nineteenth century called the Situationists, who made sporadic, usually illegal performance art as a form of social protest.
“I wanted to see if I could get away with it without being detected” and hoped that “these protrusions would become part of the structure themselves.”, Rick Buckley eventually confessed to the Evening Standard. Over the years the majority of the noses were removed during renovations, covered or deteriorated but it is thought that 7 of the original Buckley noses stand strong to this day.
The peculiar installations attracted a whole lot of urban legends speculating the origins of the mystery noses, but the most famous of them all says that if you can locate all seven noses, you can expect great wealth to come your way. Now that is an unmissable opportunity.
It feels like I’ve walked the streets of Soho a million times in the 7 years I lived in London, yet I never stumbled across a mysterious nose sticking out of the wall. So, I decided to go on a special adventure around Central London to look for what’s left of the original noses of Soho.
Where to find them
- The Admiralty Arch Nose
One legend says that the Admiralty Arch nose was installed to mock Napoleon’s height, and cavalry troops tweaked the sniffer as they passed under the arch. Others say that the nose honours the Duke of Wellington, who was well known for having a large nose. Another rumour says that the nose is actually a spare for the memorial statue of Admiral Lord Nelson which stands at the top of the Trafalgar Square column, in case the original fell off.
Unfortunately, due to construction work being done on the Admiralty Arch, I couldn’t access the inside of the Arch, where the nose hopefully is still situated.
- The Great Windmill Street Nose
Anyway, after almost 30 minutes of searching up and down Great Windmill Street and around Piccadilly Circus, I gave up. Turns out it was right under my nose the whole time, I just missed the section of the street along the Coventry Street end of Great Windmill Street. Based on my research the nose should still be there, between Five Guys and Picturehouse Central.
- The Meard Street Nose
Passing onto a lovely cobbled road on Meard Street, you should find the nose right up on a brick wall at the corner with Dean Street. Unfortunately, this nose is thought to be installed by a different artist, and not one of the original 35 noses.
- The Quo Vadis Nose
Head around the corner on Dean Street and you will find one of the original noses above the entrance of the historic private club Quo Vadis- which was once the home to Karl Marx.
- The Fake Nose Next Door
Much to my surprise, I didn’t have to look long for the next nose, as I saw a purple-painted nose right above the entrance to a Strip Club next to Quo Vadis. Turns out, this is another fake nose.
- Bateman Street
The next nose is situated at the end of Bateman Street, right next to the entrance to a trendy Simmon’s Bar and an eye-catching piece of street art.
- Endell Street
Take your time to find the last of the 7 noses and explore the charming streets of Covent Garden lined with cute shops and the colourful Neal’s Yard as you make your way to Endell Street. You’ll find the last nose across the street from The Shaftesbury Theatre, next to the entrance to a print shop.
And that is how to spend a day discovering the very familiar streets of Soho from a completely unique perspective.
Don’t forget to share your experience with us if you decide to set foot on this unique search and I hope the directions in the video and on the Google Map will make your journey much easier.