Building record MAB24338 - RUSSEL HEAD

Carved stone, the Russel Or Russell) head, sometimes known as the 'face of hate', an effigy of George Russel (1810-1899).

Carved stone, the Russel Or Russell) head, sometimes known as the 'face of hate', an effigy of George Russel (1810-1899). Russel came from a family of confectioners and had a gift for sculpting and had made a name for himself by producing elaborate figure heads for ship's prows. Russel owned a building at 35 Ragg's Lane (approximately where St Nicholas House stands today) where he operated a small bakery in the basement. Owing to the proximity of the bakery to a sewer the Town Council closed down the bakery. Russel believed that one Alexander Stephen, his neighbour, had made a complaint to the Council about the bakery which hence led to its closure. As a consequence a strong ill- will developed between the two men, despite Stephen's innocence. Russel made this grotesque effigy of himself pulling a face and fixed it onto the Broad St corner of his building. This meant that from whatever direction Stephen approached Ragg's Lane he could not fail to see the effigy. Following the demolition of Ragg's Lane in 1959 the head was stored in Provost Skene's House (NJ90NW0014) until it was fixed to its present position where it continues to startle and intrigue passers by. Russel is also remembered for a generous act: near to the end of his life he fell in the street and was helped to his feet by a 'Bobbie' and a 'scaffie'. Russel made out his will in the form of a trust for shares to be allocated to certain ranks in the police force and to the 'scaffies'. The trust is still administered to this day.

ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL, 2016, ABERDEEN'S SCULPTURE TRAIL (Bibliographic reference). SAB8372.

Record last edited

Jan 13 2026 11:15AM