Amazing - I never thought I’d get to see a picture of the original premises which later became J W Levy & Son.
As can just be seen from the writing on the pillar - the address is No.4 Holborn Circus. This is where the first Joshua W Levy set up business in 1888 as the British Agent for the Mosler Safe Company. Born in London in 1853 he was originally a merchant seaman who jumped ship in the US and found work with Moslers in Hamilton Ohio.
His company supplied all the safes to the Bakerloo Railway, forerunner to the London Underground. Business began to suffer when in a Sherlock Holmes novel it was suggested that combination locks (fitted as standard to American safes) were less secure than keylocks.
His company moved into the reconditioned safe business and by 1930 had extended into numbers 5 and 6 Holborn Circus. By this time the agency for Mosler had been relinquished. Levy’s previous skills as a seaman gave him the means with his knowledge of rigging to instal safes into the highest buildings in the Hatton Gardens area which his competitors were unable to achieve and they became the largest suppliers of reconditioned safes in the country.
The premises were destroyed by bombing in 1941 and replaced by Thavies Inn House in 1958 with the new Levy showrooms and offices again facing the Circus.
The layout of the South side of Holborn Circus was drastically altered as a result of the bombing as the accompanying drawing shows.
Then sign high up on the wall will probably read Bartlett’s Buildings.
Great picture - thanks.
Regards ….. John.
