54 Harley Street W1

Sometimes quite ordinary houses sport just one lively and interesting detail that makes the whole thing come alive. At 54 Harley Street, a solemn neo-Georgian house built for one of the consultants that infest the street to this day, the keystone over the front door is carved with this lovely mermaid. She holds a trident in one hand and twirls her hair seductively with the other. Her tail curls round and round itself - it must be the longest mertail ever.
The house was designed by Niven and Wigglesworth in 1904, so the sculptor may be Albert Hodge or his assistant Charles Doman.