Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The wall commemorating 11,908 Jewish victims of the Shoah from Frankfurt.
Börneplatz Memorial
Entrance to the munitions area of the lower part of the bunker
Simserhof
Carlos Calderón Yruegas calls the villa his personal playground.
Villa Tabaiba
Apples and pears, Spitalfields Market.
Brick Lane Roundels
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The sign declares this the number-one gumbo shop in town.
Gumbo Hut Shioya
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
 Fenway Park at night
How Was Your First Trip With Your Significant Other?
Ivan the Terra Bus
The Bus, the Myth, the Legend: Ivan the Terra Bus
Pigeons were included in a series of 1891 illustrations entitled “Household Pets.”
What Makes a Pest a Pest?
Burros Alfa and Beto, seen here with Luis Soriano in 2008, have been helping the teacher deliver books for more than 20 years.
How One Man and His ‘Biblioburro’ Spreads Literacy in Rural Colombia

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England London 'The Seven Ages of Man'

'The Seven Ages of Man'

A totem pole of heads to represent the different stages of life.

London, England

Added By
Lana Velkov
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Andreas Praefcke
  lonpicman
  Lana Velkov / Atlas Obscura User
  Basher Eyre
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
  Snowdrop68 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

London's Brutalist office building known as Baynard House near London Blackfriars is home to a unique cast aluminum public sculpture by Richard Kindersley titled The Seven Ages of Man.

The sculpture's title refers to a passage from William Shakespeare's play As You Like It: "All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players. / They have their exits and their entrances, / And one man in his time plays many parts, / His acts being seven ages."

This intriguing sculpture, resembling a totem pole with sculptural heads, stands as a testament to the passage of time and the stages of life. These include: infant, schoolboy, lover, solider, justice, pantaloon ( or old fool) and finally old man. Commissioned by Post Office Telecommunications, the sculpture was unveiled in April 1980 and remains a captivating presence at the site.

Related Tags

Giant Heads Shakespeare Art Outside Sculptures

Know Before You Go

The sculpture inhabits an unloved courtyard on the level above the Baynard House car park on Queen Victoria Street.

The sculpture is partially visible from street level opposite the Church of Scientology. It can be accessed by stairs or ramp. It's best to go during daylight hours. 

The nearest stations are Mansion House and Blackfriars.

Community Contributors

Added By

Lana Velkov

Edited By

SEANETTA, jooniur, Snowdrop68

  • SEANETTA
  • jooniur
  • Snowdrop68

Published

August 17, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-seven-ages-of-man-292833
'The Seven Ages of Man'
135 Queen Victoria St
London, England, EC4V 4BQ
United Kingdom
51.51189, -0.100937
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Cockpit

London, England

miles away

Whispering Gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral

London, England

miles away

Stationers' Hall

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 110

Nearby Places

The Cockpit

London, England

miles away

Whispering Gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral

London, England

miles away

Stationers' Hall

London, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of London

London

England

Places 536
Stories 110

Related Places

  • A bronze fast of a female face atop a pedestal with a lighthouse in the background

    New York, New York

    Girl Puzzle Monument

    An art installation commemorates journalist Nellie Bly's undercover reporting inside a New York asylum.

  • Madrid, Spain

    'Día y Noche' (Day and Night)

    A pair of gigantic baby heads greet passengers at Atocha Station.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Moyai

    Inspired by the famous sculptures on Easter Island, this head serves as a popular meeting spot by Shibuya Station.

  • Quasi, seen at his former home on top of the Christchurch Art Gallery Building.

    Wellington, New Zealand

    Quasi

    The 16-foot sculpture of a hand looks out from his perch on top of an art gallery.

  • This scenic park on the shores of Lake Ontario is open 24/7.

    Toronto, Ontario

    Sundial Folly

    An enigmatic concrete structure in a lakeside Toronto park raises more questions than answers.

    Sponsored by Destination Toronto
  • Gijón, Spain

    Elogio del Horizonte

    This modern sculpture looks out over the sea and amplifies sound from the inside.

  • Basel, Switzerland

    Hammering Man

    This 42-foot tribute to the workforce still reminds us to pause and recharge.

  • Hello from the stone Gingerbread Man.

    Cassel, California

    Packway Sculpture Park

    A whimsical display of massive metal sculptures made from recycled materials.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.