[3] The figures were moved to the building's rear courtyard in 1789, but were placed back at the front door in 1890, by which point the original Hercules sculpture had decayed beyond repair and was replaced by a replica.

[1][2] The venue was named Samson and Hercules House during World War II, but later was rebranded to Ritzy's in 1983.

[5] Conservation firm Plowden & Smith were commissioned by the NMS in 2014,[1] and oversaw a four-year process to remove 60 layers of lead paint, weighing 28 kilograms (62 lb), that had built up on the Samson sculpture.

The treatment cost £32,000, and was nominated for "best restoration project of the year" at the Museums + Heritage Show after it was completed in 2019.

In 2018, the Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell began a crowdfunding campaign, "Saving Samson",[2][1] which raised the £15,000 needed to purchase an environmentally controlled glass case.