Piccadilly Circus: 1925

This is an International Newsreel Photo showing a close up of the Lord Shaftesbury Memorial in Piccadilly Circus, this Press Photograph has information on the reverse in type stating that the photograph was taken on Saturday 14th February 1925, just a few days before the removal of the memorial so that work could begin in constructing the new Piccadilly Circus underground station. The information also contains a reference to the Tate Gallery where the statue of Eros was to be displayed in the grounds, this arrangement fell through because of lack of space shortly before the memorial was dismantled on Wednesday 18th. Instead the statue was taken to County Hall where it was to be put on display in the quadrangle. Again, that arrangement fell through because of costs although the statue was thoroughly cleaned whilst there. Westminster Council then stepped forward and provided a spot in Victoria Embankment Gardens next to the bandstand at the Villiers Street entrance where it was placed on Saturday 23rd May, it remained there until Sunday 27th December 1931 when it was reinstalled on a new site in Piccadilly Circus without much fuss or ballyhoo. The Piccadilly flower girls are taking advantage of brisk business as it would be the last St. Valentine’s Day at the location for six years, although everyone expected the work to take only two years. You don’t see many advertisements for pencils in Piccadilly Circus these days but in 1925 the American Lead Pencil Company marketed their product under the Venus brand name. Their success after the First World War was the result of the interruption of supply by German manufacturers. It is ironic that in 1967 the American Company was acquired by the German company, Faber-Castell.

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