Dividend Day at the Bank of England

Dividend day at the Bank of England was when holder of Bank Stock collected their dividends.

This painting highlights the diversity of the Bank’s customers. People from all classes and backgrounds are present, from smartly dressed men and women, to children visiting with their parents and a man in a wheelchair. Behind the counter on the left, hard-working clerks serve the queue of customers.

The painting gives us a glimpse into life at the Bank in the nineteenth century. It shows the cats used to control vermin, a dog running through the hall, as well as the impressive architecture of John Soane’s Stock Office.