Queen's House, Tower of London
I thought it might be interesting to share some photographs of Tudor graffiti in the Tower of London. I should point out that I am in no way a photographer, and the photos below were taken inside the Beauchamp Tower with an iPhone. As such the quality is quite poor. However the photos do convey a sense of the incredible graffiti carved into the walls; there is something very moving about these personal imprints, carved during a time of fear and, often, abject despair.
Beauchamp Tower stands adjacent to the above building in the Tower complex. Its proximity to what had been the Lieutenant's Lodgings made it an ideal place to hold high-profile prisoners in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Some of its more famous occupants include Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, imprisoned for a year in the Tower in 1553, and Sir Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel, who died at the Tower after ten years of incarceration. The upper and lower floors of Beauchamp Tower are littered with personalised graffiti, now carefully preserved behind perspex screens.
Beauchamp Tower
Robert Dudley's initials?
Earl of Arundel
Greetings Dainty Ballerina
ReplyDeleteI have a question - and as this post is labelled "curiosities" hope that this might be a good place to ask it....
My question concerns this - written by a friend of mine. I know nothjing of the provenance of this writing. Aside from his reference to a nocturnal meeting, he has not volunteered any other explanation, and nor have I asked him for one. No doubt he will volunteer to tell me, if he chooses to.
Yet the writing itself.... is it? Could it be....?
I'd be sincerely interested in learning your opinion.
Hope you get to see this message and thank you in anticipation of any feedback you might leave here.
Peace,
Martin
That bad, huh?
ReplyDeleteWell, it had me going for a while, then again I'm more a Brakspear than Shakespeare type.
Thanks for your prompt feedback!
Martin