Perched on a clean, catalog-like page, “Design No. 68” rises as a needle-thin proposal labeled “British Lion,” one of the many competitive entries imagined for a Great Tower for London in 1890. The drawing emphasizes vertical ambition: a narrow shaft crowned with a small lantern-like top, anchored by a broad, arched base that suggests both monumentality and engineered stability. It reads like a meeting point between Victorian ornament and the era’s fascination with iron-built spectacle.
Beneath the illustration, the printed credit line gives the design an international dimension, naming W. H. Breithaupt, M. Inst. C.E., along with an address in Kansas City, U.S.A. That small block of text hints at how widely the call for ideas traveled and how the late 19th century’s “inventions” culture encouraged engineers and architects to compete across oceans. Even without the full set of submissions on view, the layout feels like an official record—numbered, titled, and ready for comparison against dozens of rivals.
Seen today, this page is a reminder that iconic skylines are often preceded by ambitious paper towers, each promising a new symbol for London and a new triumph of modern construction. The “British Lion” concept blends confident national branding with the practical language of professional credentials and numbered designs, making it ideal for readers exploring Victorian architecture, engineering history, and unrealized landmarks. As part of a collection of 50+ competitive designs, it captures the restless creativity of 1890s tower proposals—bold, speculative, and thoroughly of their time.