Samson and Hercules sculptures

The two oak atlantid statues of the Roman hero Hercules and the biblical figure Samson were created in 1657 and are

located at Samson and Hercules House, 15 Tombland, Norwich. The original Hercules sculpture, which was 233

years old at the time, was destroyed in 1890 because it was too damaged to be repaired, but the Samson sculpture is

currently on display in the Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell.

History

In 1657, Christopher Jay, the mayor of Norwich, had two of the sculptures to be erected outside his new residence in

Tombland, Norwich. One oak tree trunk was used to craft the Samson sculpture.

The figures were moved to the building’s rear courtyard in 1789, but were placed back at the front door in 1890, by

which point the original Hercules sculpture had decayed beyond repair and was replaced by a replica.The structure

functioned as a dance hall and then a nightclub from 1934 to 2003. During World War II, the location was known as

Samson and Hercules House; however, in 1983, it was renamed Ritzy’s. The Samson sculpture was taken down by

the Norfolk Museums Service (NMS) in the summer of 1992 when its right arm broke off. At the venue, fibreglass

replicas took their place in 1998. When the home was converted into a lobster restaurant, these reproductions were

first painted crimson, and they have since been painted other hues.

In 2014, the NMS commissioned the conservation firm Plowden & Smith to supervise a four-year operation to

remove 60 layers of lead paint that had accumulated on the Samson sculpture, totalling 28 kilogrammes. Fungus had

grown in the sculpture’s head as a result of water damage, and “severe and extensive rot” of the entire artwork had

caused the wood to soften. A portion of its midsection that was missing was filled with cellulose fibre, and this was

treated with liquid consolidant. After the £32,000 treatment was finished in 2019, it was recognised for “best

restoration project of the year” at the Museums + Heritage Show.

The sculpture was too fragile to be displayed once it was restored. The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell launched

the “Saving Samson” crowdsourcing effort in 2018 . which generated the £15,000 required to buy a glass container

with environmental control. In April 2019, the museum held its unveiling.

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