31 March 2007 • The name plate is mounted on the corner of a large stone building and proclaims one of London’s grand squares. London ‘Post Codes’ were introduced in 1857 – with areas defined as ‘W’ (like this one), ‘E’, ‘SW, ‘NW’ and so on. In 1917 a further refinement was made with numbers being added to indicate smaller areas within the main area – for example ‘W1’ and ‘W2’. We can conclude therefore that the name plate here dates from some time earlier than 1917. This plate is quite high up which means that it is away from everyday wear and tear. Name plates in situ are quite rare today and show how elegant London must have looked in the early 1990s.
26 February 2005 • Careful inspection of the image reveals that the name plate is in fine condition. Sadly, peeling paint behind it and the insensitive placing of a building alarm have conspired to ruin the elegant effect of this name plate.
