"George Washington Slept Here" - London Style

 If you travel anywhere in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic States, you are bound to see a "George Washington slept here" sign at some point.  Imagine my surprise to see a London version of this sign today while walking to the British Museum on Great Russell St.  Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a bright blue medallion on a green wall outside of a book shop. 

Sign outside Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers - 46 Great Russell St. London

I was so excited when I looked closer and saw that this was once the residence of Randolph Caldecott!  For those of you who aren't familiar with him, Caldecott was a nineteenth-century English illustrator.  He was known for his work illustrating children's books. Today the American Library Association awards the Caldecott Medal annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. The Caldecott Medal is a big deal to children's librarians and seeing this sign made my "book nerd" heart very happy!  I can't wait to see what other surprises London has in store for me.

History of Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers

History of the Caldecott Medal