Career
The house in which he once lived, "Penfolds", is still to be found near the centre of the town. Penfold did his articles with Thomas Talbot Bury and Charles Lee between 1845 and 1850. Following his articles he worked for William Burn, before striking out to his own practice at Charlotte Row, Mansion House, London in 1854.
Penfold is perhaps best known for his design of the British hexagonal post box in 1866, now known as a Penfold box.
In the cartoon series Danger Mouse, Doctor of Medicine"s sidekick is named Penfold after JW Penfold, since the duo"s secret hideout was in a post box in Baker Street. However, Danger Mouse and Penfold"s hideout was not a Penfold box, but an Anonymous box.
