London Nose from Meard Street

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The Seven Noses of Soho are an artistic stunt located on buildings throughout London. Created in 1997, these plaster reproductions of artist Rick Buckley's nose unexpectedly sprout from walls. Initially, about 35 were attached to landmarks like the National Gallery and Tate Britain but only around ten remain today. Buckley was motivated by his discontent over the widespread introduction of CCTV cameras across London. Drawing inspiration from the Situationists' ideas, he cleverly placed the noses directly under the cameras' lenses. The prank remained under wraps, allowing urban legends to arise and explain the mysterious appearance of the noses. For instance, one nose inside Admiralty Arch was rumored to have been created as a mocking gesture towards Napoleon, with cavalry troopers from nearby Horse Guards Parade allegedly tweaking it whenever they passed through the arch.