Mausoleum Of Julius Beer In Highgate (Western) Cemetery

The Mausoleum of Julius Beer is located in Highgate (Western) Cemetery and was built around 1878. It was designed by William Oscar Wilford Bouwens van der Boijen and constructed by John Oldrid Scott, inspired by the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The structure is made of stone and has a square plan. It features channelled clasping pilasters that support rusticated Diocletian windows, which have continuous hoodmoulds and antefixae. Above these windows rises a pyramidal roof, designed to resemble tiles, adorned with oculi and a cross finial. The panels beneath the windows are accented with Ionic pilasters. The architraved doorway includes a cornice and an inscription reading "Mausoleum of Julius Beer" in a panel below, with bronze doors made by Farmer & Brindley.

Inside, the mausoleum is styled in the Quattrocento manner, showcasing marble carvings by HH Armstead. It contains two sarcophagi, with Beer's sarcophagus positioned opposite the entrance, featuring a swagged frieze in front of a round-arched high relief panel that depicts an angel raising a winged child. This scene is framed by paired Corinthian columns on pedestals, topped with an enriched dentil entablature. The interior is illuminated by patterned stained glass windows.

Historically, Julius Beer was a wealthy figure who made his fortune in the Stock Exchange and owned The Observer newspaper. He passed away in 1880, having purchased the plot and commissioned the architect in 1876.