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The Seven Noses of Soho

An urban legend says: Whoever finds all seven small noses that the artist Rick Buckley secretly mounted on house walls in Soho will become rich. Whether materially or in terms of experience, that remains to be seen – but the search is an adventure in itself.

The London Noses, also known as the Seven Noses of Soho, are an artistic installation found on buildings throughout London. They are plaster of Paris reproductions of the artist’s nose, protruding inconspicuously from walls. Created by artist Rick Buckley in 1997, approximately 35 of these noses were initially attached to notable buildings such as the National Gallery and Tate Britain. By 2011, only about 10 remained.

Buckley was inspired to create the noses in response to the widespread installation of CCTV cameras across London. Drawing from Situationist ideas, he placed the noses beneath the cameras’ lenses as a form of satirical protest. The project was not publicly announced, leading to various urban myths about their purpose such as one suggesting the nose inside Admiralty Arch was meant to mock Napoleon, with cavalry troopers tweaking it as they passed. Another myth claimed that finding all seven noses in Soho would bring great fortune. The noses are believed to be located at Admiralty Arch, Great Windmill Street, Meard Street, Bateman Street, Dean Street, Endell Street, and D’Arblay Street in central London.

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