'Crocodile'

A crocodile in London.

Saturday November 16, 2019.

It was a typical walk around London with my friend, Gary, that resulted on me stumbling across this Crocodile, in Marylebone.

As with most of my walks there is little in the way of a route. Rather a meandering left here, right there, until it is time to head home.

As such I never know what I will see or discover. Such as this life-size crocodile, clambering up a waterfall from the basement of the Lacoste boutique on Duke Street.

Definitely no swimming!

To find out why Jean René Lacoste used a 'crocodile' as his logo, we have to go back to 1923.

Brief History

Why did Jean René Lacoste use a 'crocodile' for his logo?

Boston, MA, 1923

Jean René Lacoste was strolling through the streets of Boston with his tennis team's captain, Alan Muhr, before the afternoon's upcoming game. As they passed a store's window display, an elegant crocodile skin suitcase caught Jean René's eye. Falling in love with the suitcase, Jean René decided to make a bet with Alan. Should Jean René win their upcoming match Alan would buy him the suitcase. Alan accepted.

As it turned out, Jean René didn't win, but a journalist heard of the bet and mentioned it in his article in the Boston Evening Transcript: 

“The young Lacoste has not won his crocodile skin suitcase but he fought like a true crocodile."

And so the nickname stuck.

The first illustration of the crocodile was drawn by Jean René's friend, Robert George.