The acclaimed film director and “Master of Suspense”, Alfred Hitchcock, was born in Leytonstone in 1899. Once part of Essex, Leytonstone was incorporated into the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1965, though London Transport’s Central Line had begun serving the town in 1947 during the extension of the Underground service to the northeast.
Waltham Forest borough council commissioned a series of 17 mosaics to be unveiled in 1999 to celebrate the centenary of Hitchcock’s birth. The mosaics are found in the subway leading to the entrance of the station; running from east to west, with the entrance in the centre, most people entering or leaving the Underground would only see half of them – so it’s worth taking a walk along the entire length of the subway.
Each mosaic depicts scenes from one of Hitchcock’s films, or scenes from his life – some incorporating cameos from Leytonstone landmarks. Each also comes with a little plaque to explain what is shown – good for those who are not familiar with the director’s work beyond classics such as Psycho or The Birds.