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Piscator (Paolozzi)

1980 sculpturesAbstract sculptures in the United KingdomAluminium sculptures in the United KingdomBuildings and structures in the London Borough of CamdenCast-iron sculptures
Iron sculptures in the United KingdomOutdoor sculptures in London
Paolozzi sculpture Euston Square 04
Paolozzi sculpture Euston Square 04

Piscator, also known as the Euston Head, is a large abstract sculpture by Eduardo Paolozzi. It was commissioned by British Rail in 1980 for the forecourt of Euston Station in London, and is named for the German theatre director Erwin Piscator. The sculpture is made from cast iron with an aluminium finish, and was cast by the ironfounders Robert Taylor and Co. It measures 3.1 by 4.6 by 1.85 metres (10.2 ft × 15.1 ft × 6.1 ft). In making the work, Paolozzi was assisted by Ray Watson. The sides of the sculpture have silvered bumps and hollows; viewed from above, the top surface resolves into a blocky human body and face. It is described in Pevsner as "a silvered block with curved hollows, and rectangular shapes above". In late 2016, it was reported that the ownership of the sculpture was unclear. It was commissioned by British Rail, which was privatised in the 1990s, and the sculpture may have been inherited by Network Rail, who owns the freehold of the land on which it sits. However, Network Rail has denied ownership, saying that the land is leased to Sydney & London Properties, but the leaseholders have also denied any responsibility for the sculpture. It has since been discovered that the Arts Council of England owns the work. A series of six 4.5 inches (110 mm) models in bronze were also cast, with one held by the Science Museum.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Piscator (Paolozzi) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Piscator (Paolozzi)
Euston Grove, London St Pancras (London Borough of Camden)

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N 51.5271 ° E -0.1333 °
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Erwin Piscator sculpture

Euston Grove
NW1 2EF London, St Pancras (London Borough of Camden)
England, United Kingdom
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Paolozzi sculpture Euston Square 04
Paolozzi sculpture Euston Square 04
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London and North Western Railway War Memorial
London and North Western Railway War Memorial

The London and North Western Railway War Memorial is a First World War memorial located outside Euston station in London, England. The memorial was designed by Reginald Wynn Owen, architect to the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), and commemorates employees of the LNWR who were killed in the First World War. Some 37,000 LNWR employees left to fight in the war—around a third of the company's workforce—of whom over 3,000 were killed. As well as personnel, much of the company's infrastructure was turned over to the war effort. Of the £12,500 cost of the memorial, £4,000 was contributed by the employees and the company paid the remainder. The memorial consists of a single 13-metre (43-foot) tall obelisk on a pedestal. At the top, on each side, is a cross in relief and a bronze wreath. At the four corners of the base are four over-life-size statues of military figures—an artilleryman, an infantryman, a sailor, and an airman. The memorial was unusual among those from the First World War in featuring an airman so prominently. The memorial was unveiled on 21 October 1921. Over 8,000 people attended the ceremony, mostly LNWR employees and their families, including three who earned the Victoria Cross in the war. Tensions remained following a strike two years earlier and the speeches focused on patriotism and duty, encouraging the workers to follow the example of their dead comrades. The memorial and two entrance lodges are all that remain of the former Euston station complex, the station having been rebuilt in the 1960s. An office building was erected between the memorial and the station in the 1970s, obscuring the view of it from the station entrance. The memorial is a grade II* listed building.

Euston railway station
Euston railway station

Euston railway station ( YOO-stən; also known as London Euston) is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, managed by Network Rail. It is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line, the UK's busiest inter-city railway. Euston is the eleventh-busiest station in Britain and the country's busiest inter-city passenger terminal, being the gateway from London to the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland. Intercity express passenger services are operated by Avanti West Coast and overnight services to Scotland are provided by the Caledonian Sleeper. London Northwestern Railway and London Overground provide regional and commuter services. Trains run from Euston to the major cities of Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is also the mainline station for services to and through to Holyhead for connecting ferries to Dublin. Local suburban services from Euston are run by London Overground via the Watford DC Line which runs parallel to the WCML as far as Watford Junction. Euston tube station is directly connected to the main concourse, while Euston Square tube station is nearby. King's Cross and St Pancras railway stations are about 1⁄2 mile (800 metres) east along Euston Road. Euston was the first inter-city railway terminal in London, planned by George and Robert Stephenson. The original station was designed by Philip Hardwick and built by William Cubitt, with a distinctive arch over the station entrance. The station opened as the terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) on 20 July 1837. Euston was expanded after the L&BR was amalgamated with other companies to form the London and North Western Railway, leading to the original sheds being replaced by the Great Hall in 1849. Capacity was increased throughout the 19th century from two platforms to fifteen. The station was controversially rebuilt in the mid-1960s, including the demolition of the Arch and the Great Hall, to accommodate the electrified West Coast Main Line, and the revamped station still attracts criticism over its architecture. Euston is to be the London terminus for the planned High Speed 2 railway and the station is being redeveloped to handle it.