Tuesday 23 July 2013

Jolly Gardeners, Black Prince Road SE11


The Jolly Gardeners (1890) has a rather superior sign in the form of a cast stone relief of two very jolly gardeners, one holding a scythe and the other a spade. One is clearly saying to the other that it is time to down tools and go to the rubbidy for a pigs or twain.
Marc Girouard in his magnificent book Victorian Pubs ascribes the work to Frederick T. Callcutt, who had a close association with the architect, R.A. Lewcock. Callcutt also worked on the amazing Black Friar pub in the City.
There are identical casts on either end of the building - two for the price of one.

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