How my photograph of Samuel Johnson’s bust in Lichfield has become part of a museum fundraiser

My photograph of Samuel Johnson’s bust in Lichfield has become part of a museum fundraiser (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

It is a real pleasure to be part of another local history project in Lichfield, albeit a very small part. This time, though, my contribution is of a very different nature, with my photograph of the bust of Samuel Johnson on Bird Street becoming part of the design of a new commemorative badge for the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and the Johnson Society.

Jono Oates of Jono’s Tourism has designed and donated the new commemorative badges of the Johnson’s head bust to raise funds for the Dr Johnson’s Birthplace Trust, a registered charity managed by Lichfield City Council.

The trust supports the activities of the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, including public engagement and learning events, it funds new acquisitions and exhibitions, and helps support the ongoing costs of caring for the Grade I listed building and its collection.

Jono Oates presents the stylish mew badge to the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum

The stylish badges were produced using the remaining funds from a Go Fund Me campaign set up by Jono to assist with the restoration and installation of the 1884 bust, which was unveiled in 2024 above the door of 10 Bird Street.

And the new badge was designed using a photograph I took of the Johnson bust on Bird Street in Lichfield last year.

The bust was donated by Peter Hone as a gift to the people of Lichfield, with the support of local people, organisations and businesses in Lichfield, including Jono, the Go Fund Me campaign, the Johnson Society, Viking E-Cigs and the George Hotel.

The bust required extensive restoration and specialist installation. The work was carried out by Jones Carving, Messenger BCR, Brownhill Hayward Brown Chartered Architects, Hibberd Consulting Engineers (of Lichfield), and Green Power Plant Hire. All of them donated their time to the project, which was led by Lichfield City Council.

The pin badges produced by Jono Oates of Jono’s Tourism are beased on my photographs of Samuel Johnson’s bust in Bird Street, Lichfield

When Jono’s fundraising campaign was left with unspent funds, he looked at various projects to spend theresidual money on and eventually settled on a lapel pin badge version of the bust. He has donated hundreds of the pin badgesm based on my photograph to the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Musuem, where they are now on sale in the bookshop museum for a small donation, with all proceeds going to the Dr Johnson’s Birthplace Trust. He also produced some special versions of the badge which will go to members of the Johnson Society who were instrumental in arranging the transfer of the bust from Peter Hone, who agreed to return the bust to Lichfield for free.

There was still £150 of unspent money, and Jono has donated this to two local charities, the Lichfield Christmas Toy Appeal, organised by Elaine Hutchings, and the Friends2Friends charity.

Since 1901, Johnson’s birthplace has been a museum to the writer and compiler of the first standard English dictionary and his times. The house was built in 1708 for Samuel Johnson’s parents, Sarah and Michael Johnson, and the family ran their bookshop business on the ground floor. Now a Grade I listing building, the Birthplace is a vibrant accredited museum with events and activities throughout the year.

The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and Bookshop on Breadmarket Street, Lichfield, was closed temporarily for essential building maintenance from 2 February, but reopened last week (Wednesday 11 February 2026). The museum and bookshop are open every day, admission is free and donations are welcome.

The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and Bookshop on Breadmarket Street, Lichfield (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)