London Landmarks Made From Recycled Thames Tobacco Pipes

M@
By M@ Last edited 106 months ago
London Landmarks Made From Recycled Thames Tobacco Pipes
The full set of greetings cards.
The full set of greetings cards.
The London Eye makes use both of pipe stems and bowls.
The London Eye makes use both of pipe stems and bowls.
Houses of Parliament.
Houses of Parliament.
St Paul's, work in progress.
St Paul's, work in progress.
Nelson's column, work in progress.
Nelson's column, work in progress.
The artist also makes these cards of "Clay Pipe Pete and Smokey Joe".
The artist also makes these cards of "Clay Pipe Pete and Smokey Joe".

Ladies and gentleman, may we present six of London's most famous landmarks, made from centuries-old clay pipe fragments. The images are the work of artist Amelia Parker. Greetings cards and larger prints are on sale now.

Before we had vapes, before we had cigarettes, before we even had roll-ups, the smokers of London would puff away on disposable clay pipes. Once spent, the pipes were often cast into the Thames, never to be seen again. Or so the smokers might have thought. Amelia Parker has been collecting their cast-offs from the Thames foreshore for years. She runs a cottage industry, turning them into jewellery, sculptures and works of art.

The current works show St Paul's Cathedral, Nelson's Column, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and "Eros". In most cases, the materials Amelia uses are older than the buildings represented. The pipes can hang around on the foreshore for hundreds of years.

You can buy greetings cards featuring the images online via Amelia Parker's Etsy page at £2.50 each or £12 for the set of six. Enlarged versions at A4 or A3 can also be ordered, with prices and material details available on request. Alternatively, pop along to the market in Embankment Gardens this weekend to meet the artist in person, and buy the cards a little cheaper.

Last Updated 27 May 2015