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Notes

Cast iron roundel with embossed image showing a map of the world.

The roundel is set into the pavement outside the mosque in Brick Lane, originally one of a pair set on two sides of the building (?both still there?). 'The mosque building was developed originally as the New French School for the Huguenot community in 1742. During the nineteenth century the church building was mainly used by Methodists until it was converted into a synagogue in 1898 for Jewish families from Eastern Europe. Today the building is a mosque and is used by the local Bangladeshi community. The image of the world on these roundels placed at each side of the building reflects the rich cultural and religious history of the mosque and the Brick Lane area'.(1) The initial idea for the roundels came from Victoria Preston, an arts consultant who was then working for Bethnal Green City Challenge Company Ltd, who approached Keith Bowler to research, design and fabricate them. The contract with BGCC dated from September 1994 and the first meeting was in December 1994 when the majority of the designs were passed. The roundels were cast during February and March 1995 at Hoyle and Sons Foundry and installed soon afterwards. 'There are 20 different designs altogether - although some have disappeared - stolen or dug up by roadworkers'.(2) Note: a disk containing graphics of each of the roundels was supplied by the artist and is in the archives.

circa

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At risk

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Signatures

Roundel

Cast iron

36cm diameter