The John Snow, formerly the Newcastle-upon-Tyne, is a

public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

Broadwick Street Broadwick Street (formerly Broad Street) is a street in Soho, City of Westminster, London. It runs for 0.18 miles (0.29 km) approximately west–east between Marshall Street and Wardour Street, crossing Berwick Street. The street extends a ...

, in the

Soho SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

district of the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in Greater London, England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It contains a large par ...

, part of the

West End of London The West End of London (commonly referred to as the West End) is a district of Central London, Central London, England, in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster. It is west of the City of London an ...

, and dates back to the 1870s. It is named for the British epidemiologist and anaesthetist

John Snow John Snow (15 March 1813 – 16 June 1858) was an English physician and a leader in the development of anaesthesia and medical hygiene. He is considered one of the founders of modern epidemiology and early germ theory, in part because of hi ...

, who identified the nearby water pump as the source of a cholera outbreak in 1854. At an initial glance the pub appears like other traditional pubs. Towards the back is a staircase that leads to the first floor and a display of some of Snow's work. The pub serves as a meeting place for the

John Snow Society The John Snow Society (JSS), founded 1992, is a learned society named for the English physician John Snow. It publishes the newsletter ''Broad Sheet'', and hosts the Pumphandle Lecture at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The Joh ...

, which encourages its members to visit the pub, introduced a walk following the footsteps of Snow through Soho and ending at the pub, and performs a ceremonial removal of the pump handle and visit to the pub following its annual

Pumphandle Lecture The Pumphandle Lecture, established in 1993, is an annual lecture held around September to celebrate the removal of the Broad Street pump handle that took place in September 1854 during the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak, cholera epidemic in S ...

Location

The John Snow, named for the British epidemiologist and anaesthetist

, is located on the corner of Lexington Street (formerly Cambridge Street) and

(formerly Broad Street) in the

district of the

, part of the

History

The building was formerly known as the 'Newcastle-upon-Tyne' and dates back to the 1870s. It was built at the site of the

water pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic or pneumatic energy. Mechanical pumps serve in a wide range of applications such ...

found by

to have been the origin of a local cholera outbreak in 1854. The pub was renamed the John Snow in 1954, 100 years after the pump handle was removed. This dedication to Snow is generally thought of as peculiar as Snow was shy and never drank alcohol. The pub sign was unveiled in May 1955 by president of the Epidemiology and Public Health section of the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society based at 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK. It is a registered charity, with admission through membership. Its Chief Executive is Michele Acton. History The Royal Society of Medicine (R ...

, Sir Austin Bradford Hill. In 1992 a handleless replica water pump was installed nearby on the corner of Poland Street and Broadwick Street. File:Broad Street (latterly Broadwick Street), Soho, with a white Wellcome L0028567.jpg, Old replica pump File:John Snow memorial and pub.jpg, Pump erected in 1992

Interior

On entering the building, it appears like other traditional pubs. Towards the back is a staircase leading to the first floor, which displays some of Snow's work and portrait.

Exterior

The Royal Society of Chemistry established a

blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...

on the wall of the building. The 1992 replica pump was removed in 2015 for road restorations and replaced by another one in 2018 at the original pump location. An image of the pump was displayed on a temporary board until the replica was replaced. The pub sign outside depicts a portrait of Snow. The original site of the pump is represented by a pink curb stone outside the pub's side door. File:John Snow pub sign.jpg, Sign outside on Broadwick Street wall File:John Snow blue plaque.jpg, Blue plaque on Broadwick Street wall File:Cholera historic pump sign - John Snow.jpg, Sign on wall of pub File:The John Snow pub, Lexington Street - geograph.org.uk - 790937.jpg, Exterior on Lexington Street File:Broadwick street pump and pub.jpg, Pump erected in 2018 in front of side door File:Pink kerbstone John Snow pub.jpg, Pink kerbstone, site of original pump

John Snow Society

The pub serves as a meeting place for the

(JSS). A requirement for membership to the society is that on visiting London, at least one trip is encouraged to the pub. Following the JSS's

, held annually at the

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public university, public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a constituent college, member institution of the University of London that specialises in public hea ...

in September, members proceed to the pub for the society's annual general meeting. The society introduced a walk following the footsteps of Snow through Soho and ending at the pub.

Other events

In 2011, a gay couple was reportedly forced to leave the location after staff members saw them kiss. In response, the local community held a "kiss-in" protest that resulted in the pub temporarily closing.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Pubs in London Pubs in Soho Soho, London Buildings and structures completed in the 1870s Hotels established in the 1870s 1870s establishments in England