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Suburban Stories: Golders Green walks

In February and March take a closer look at the first Tube suburb with London Transport Museum's local guides. Read more and book here.

From the sublime to the ubiquitous - design excellence for the masses

Tuesday 13 April 2010 - 18.30 book here

We celebrate two design heroes from the early 20th century - Ambrose Heal and Frank Pick with an illustrated talk. Both were founder members of the Design and Industries Association (DIA) which was set up in 1915 to promote good design in commerce and industry. They took the principles of design excellence to the masses through their companies - Heal's and London Underground.

The illustrated talk will explore how each applied the DIA's slogan, 'Nothing need be ugly', to all aspects of their work and how their progressive influence, which went well beyond the promotion of their own companies, encouraged a new appreciation of the importance of design in everyday life.

Ambrose Heal turned his family firm from a traditional furniture maker into one of London's most progressive and successful domestic retailers. Heal's manufactured and sold high quality, reasonably priced modern furniture in their Tottenham Court Road premises, and promoted good, practical design for the home. The new Heal's shop opened in 1917 and was the most stylish department store in London, with a modern art gallery on the top floor and displays of complete room settings.

Frank Pick, as chief executive of London Transport in the 1930s, built the organisation's reputation for the highest design standards of any public corporation in the world. He applied the DIA's principle of 'fitness for purpose' to the design of every part of the London transport system. Under his direction in the 1920s and 1930s, the Underground's architecture, vehicles, engineering and publicity were second to none.

Heal and Pick both worked in different sectors but both shared a vision and believed that excellence in design was good for business and a route to social improvement. They commissioned and encouraged the best young designers in their fields, and were enormously influential as patrons and promoters.

The talk will be given by Oliver Green, London Transport Museum's Research Fellow as part of the Museum's Suburbia exhibition and to mark Heal's bicentenary, celebrating 200 years of innovation and inspiration in furniture design and retailing since 1810.

A London Line

Friday 26 March 15:00-15:30 and 16:00-16:30
Admission free with leaflet - please contact mailto:nisha.childs@ltmuseum.co.uk

Using London Transport Museum's collection and the newly extended East London line for inspiration, young people from Grey Coat Hospital School and youth group Union Too worked with choreographer Gerrard Martin to create a dance performance featuring poetry by Stephanie Turner.

Moments of history, characters and culture are bought to life in the heart of the Museum galleries during this stunning new performance. Come and journey along the new East London Line through movement, words and cutting edge music which break down barriers between the dance community and local community.

London Transport Museum in association with Union Dance http://www.uniondance.co.uk/

Museums at night: 100 years of Night-Life London

Celebrate 100 years of night-life in London with an exclusive and fun English wine and beer tasting session, and special curator-led tours of a display of stunning posters illustrating London after dark over the last century on Friday 14 May at London Transport Museum.

The secrets of wine and beer tasting will be demystified at a series of tasting stations located in the galleries of the Museum. Each location will represent a London or English region where visitors can learn about the techniques of tasting and the characteristics and history behind the beers and wines. Beers include traditional classics of the 18th and 19th centuries including London Porter, London Stout and Pale Ale and guests will also get to sample one of England premier sparking wines from Ridgeview. Along the way guests can show off their newly acquired knowledge with a tailor made quiz.

Guests can continue their exploration of London's history by learning more about some of the posters from the Museum's iconic collection of graphic art that depict scenes of London nightlife over the last 100 years on a curator-led tour, or simply wander around the galleries at their leisure.

To register your interest and hear when tickets go on sale, call our events team and leave an email address: 020 7565 7298

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