The Companion

Home ¦ Index ¦ FAQ ¦ Encyclopaedia ¦ Timeline ¦ Songs ¦ Gallery ¦ E-mail

Original K.WEST sign as it was photographed in July 2000.

Its restoration and exhibition in November 2012

Ever wondered what happened to the famous K.WEST sign that David Bowie was photographed under on the cover of the Ziggy Stardust album? Well it was once thought that it was auctioned off as rock n roll memorabilia to a lucky bidder in the 1980s but it can now be revealed that the original sign was removed by a fan sometime in late 1982 and that its replacement (a similar but slightly different sign erected between 1982 & 1983) was likely to have been the aforementioned auctioned item (that's sad news for the unsuspecting auction winner who probably thought it was the real thing!). This letter from the fan who currently has the original sign, and whom understandably shall remain nameless, explains all!

Dear Mike

I've got a couple of things in my collection that may be of interest.....Probably the thing in my collection that will interest you most is the original "K.West" sign that after one drunken evening in the early nineteen eighties I 'removed'. It's the side that was photographed (I think that there were unsuccessful attempts to remove it before, which was why I grabbed it when I did!) The other side of the sign was damaged anyway. It was replaced by another similar (but not that similar) sign which was removed when the furriers closed in the mid '80s. Having just moved house I rediscovered that I had the sign and am about to install it on the conservatory wall.... Hope this has solved a mystery....It's funny - when I first went to Heddon Street (I only live about a mile from it) it wasn't a shrine at all - and to add more to the story it was with Ken Pitt that I went there in about 1979 - and it looked identical. I forgot about that Alphabet sign (I was reminded of it when I saw the Time Out article [on your Heddon Street page]) that was put up in the 80's...... I have to stress that when I took the sign it really was on it's last legs and wouldn't have lasted a heavy storm - so I'm telling myself it was an act of preservation really! There's a few chips but otherwise its ok.....Anyway - I took the sign down from the attic (as you can see it's showing its age - although it was slightly damaged anyway before my 'liberation') and took a photo....

Xxxx Xxxxx
London
W1

---This page last modified: 21 Jan 2019---