The Saracen's Head Hotel, Snow Hill

The watercolour depicts a view of The Saracen's Head Hotel, Snow Hill City which featured in 'Nicholas Nickleby '. In Chapter Four Dickens describes the celebrated tavern and coaching establishment, which stood on the north side of Snow Hill and was removed when Holborn Viaduct was constructed: 'Near to the jail, and by consequence near to Smithfield...and on that particular part of Snow Hill where omnibus horses going eastwards seriously think of falling down on purpose, and where horses in hackney cabriolets going westwards not unfrequently fall by accident, is the coach-yard of the Saracen's Head inn, its portal guarded by two Saracens' heads and shoulders...frowning upon you from either side of the gateway, and the inn itself, garnished with another Saracen's Head, frowns upon you from the top of the yard...When you walk up this yard you will see the booking-office on your left, and the tower of St Sepulchre's church darting abruptly up into the sky on your right, and a gallery of bed-rooms on both sides. Just before you, you will observe a long window with the words "coffee room" legibly painted above it.'

Very little is known about James Lawson Stewart who exhibited watercolours in various London galleries between 1883-1889. He died in c. 1918 and towards the end of life was employed to copy prints of London; the accuracy of some of the locations should therefore be questioned.

The Museum was gifted a large selection of watercolours featuring locations which appeared in Dickens's works in 1934 and a set of cigarette cards was issued by R and J Hill Ltd in 1926 and 1934 entitled Historic Places from Dickens Classics which featured watercolours by Stewart.