If you visit the Wellcome Collection‘s latest exhibition, Brains: The Mind as Matter, you will surely want to lay eyes on one of their most heavily-promoted highlights, a piece of Albert Einstein’s (1879 – 1955) brain. The sliver of cortex on display is not particularly illuminating, and far from the most interesting thing in the gallery space.… [Read more…]
March 2, 2012
Is it really springtime in London? The British Library says so, and has a fashion & creativity-themed Spring Festival, running from 1 – 5 March 2012, to prove it. Today, the library forecourt hosted a pop-up craft market, made up of a dozen competition winners including Cole of London, Ketchup on Everything, Phoebe Richardson, Ruby Red and Squid… [Read more…]
February 26, 2012
One of the most valuable things about living in Bloomsbury is having the British Museum (with free entry) on our doorstep. On Friday night we took advantage of the museum’s extended opening hours, spending time in the galleries sponsored by Lord Duveen of Millbank. On a Friday night, the museum is usually much less crowded than in… [Read more…]
February 10, 2012
If you happen to be in the local area over the next few months, with half an hour to spare, pop in to University College London‘s Art Museum, where a small exhibition is showcasing the life of French philosopher and author Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). This event marks the 300th anniversary of his birth, and features books and… [Read more…]
January 23, 2012
This bulbous, organic sculpture by John Isaacs, I Can Not Help the Way I Feel (2003), is just one of many features of the Wellcome Collection’s permanent gallery, Medicine Now. The life-like construction of polystyrene, steel, foam, wax and paint simply demands attention. Every time I see it, I can not help feeling that I shouldn’t have eaten that… [Read more…]
January 23, 2012
Two of England’s creative forces were in conversation at the Foundling Museum on Sunday 22nd January 2012 - Quentin Blake and Christopher Frayling. Quentin Blake is a renowned illustrator, whose awards include Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration (2002), and the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres for services to literature (2004). Blake became the first ever Children’s Laureate in 1999. His illustrations span some 300 books, most recently Angelica… [Read more…]
January 20, 2012
Walking down Bedford Row in Bloomsbury, you might notice two rather inconspicuous stone markers outside 42 Bedford Row law chambers. One is inscribed “Little Whig” and the other ”Kitt Catt”. What are they and why are they here? The Kit Cat Club (sometimes spelled “Kit Kat” or “Kitt Catt”) was an 18th century gentlemen’s club consisting of aristocrats, politicians, writers,… [Read more…]
November 19, 2011
I am very pleased to (belatedly) report that, despite the sad and untimely death of Josephine Hart in June this year, her wonderful Josephine Hart Poetry Hour lives on, with the help of her many prominent friends and supporters. The sold-out event, the first since her passing, was held at the British Library Conference Centre on 7th November 2011.… [Read more…]
London Bytes
April 11, 2012
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