I was on Swiss Cottage tube platform yesterday and noted that the tiling on the walls was glistening which caused me to notice the details.I know they are heraldic but does anyone out there know the reason/origin or local connection to the specific tiles? The horse is related to many a supporter in a crest, the Lion in a St Geroge's cross over water of the Thames, the Royal Swan with the crown round the neck and three blades are all clasic symbols from royal crests.
I think there are more embossed tiles than the four I have captured here (my train came along so i ran out of photography time!), but there is something curiously iconic about them.I also realised that I have a penchant on this blog for Swiss Cottage - it features quite a bit:
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/05/swiss-cottage-formerly-swiss-tavern.html
http://474towin.blogspot.com/2008/06/boxing-fights-at-swiss-cottage.html
I realise that they are all part of the amazingly iconic brand that makes up the London Underground - http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=224 - and I guess that there is no specific link with Swiss Cottage. That in fact in this instance they relate to the City - perhaps even stations and areas that this line passes through - but I also suspect that there is some very obscure and arcane reason that justified them in the first place. Anyone out there know?
2 comments:
I think the three blades come from the County emblem for Middlesex-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Middx_arms.png
There is a book by Doug Rose called Tiles of the unexpected, which covers tiling on over 90 tube platforms and associated passage ways etc.
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