Much Ado about Seven Noses

An innovative public display of dissent and indignity by artist, Rick Buckley, in 1997 was noticed on several buildings and displayed in quite an incongruous and unexpected way. These London Noses or Seven Noses of Soho were made from plaster of Paris and were basically reproductions of the artist’s nose that were stuck on to famous buildings after the artist was provoked by the controversial introduction of CCTV cameras throughout London. He was also inspired by the Situationists and was inclined to install the noses under the cameras.

A number of myths grew up over the years such as the one that a person who could find all the seven noses of Soho would get a large fortune. There was another myth that the nose inside the Admiralty Arch was believed to have been created to mock Napoleon and that it could be tweaked by cavalry troopers from Horse Guards parade located nearby when they passed through the arch.

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The artist set out for his mission of attaching the noses, just armed with the models of his own nose and a tube of glue and during the process he found 35 landmarks where he affixed his signature across London. After having done so, he wondered if the protrusions could somehow become part of the structures themselves.

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There are several theories regarding the nose at the Admiralty Arch regarding its purpose and origin including one that it is a tribute to the Duke of Wellington whose silhouette was believed to be visible from far away even in the midst of the most fierce battles. The theory further says that the soldiers would rub Wellington’s nose that would be at waist height and convenient for somebody on horseback to rub for good luck. Another theory is that the nose at Admiralty Arch is actually a spare for the statue of Nelson on top of his column in Trafalgar Square.

The artist, Buckley, had taken great care to match the colour of each nose to that of the wall where it was attached. After he finished his work of attaching each nose, he would take a picture for keeping a record that he had actually done so and then he would quietly slip away from there. The noses that were noticed within a few days were removed but many others survived. Buckley had kept it as his secret until he was convinced by his girl friend to reveal his prank in 2011. The locations of the seven noses are Endell Street, Floral Street, Admiralty Arch, Great Windmill Street, Meard Street, Bateman Street, and Dean Street.