Lord Mayors Coach in the Green Yard 1950

This is an annotated sketch by the artist Grace Golden of a section of the Lord Mayor's Coach, as seen in Green Yard, WC1.

Built in 1757, the ceremonial coach was designed by the architect Sir Robert Taylor and cost £860 to make. It was first used in the ceremony held in 1757 and is still taken out of the Museum, once a year, for the annual Lord Mayor's Show.

It took a number of skilled craftsmen to build the coach, which is ornately carved, gilded and painted. Paintings thought to be by the artist Battista Cipriani decorate the panels on the side and are briefly rendered in this sketch. The wheel of the coach, made by a wheelwright, and the upholstered interior are also drawn in. Some details are highlighted in coloured pencil.

An archive of drawings and notebooks by the illustrator Grace Golden are held by the Museum.