Bye Bye Bauhaus

Paul and Marjorie Abbatt Play Tray, designed by Freda Skinner, c. 1935

University of Westminster School of Architecture, London

A Twentieth Century Society Symposium

As the Bauhaus Centenary year comes to its close, what is left to say? The Bye Bye Bauhaus day symposium, offers new perspectives and stories that have not yet been told, concerning design in Germany and Britain during the past century.

The programme opens with Richard Hollis on the Belgian Art Nouveau designer Henry van de Velde, the subject of his new book and Professor Gerald Adler, the English expert on Heinrich Tessenow. The morning concludes with three speakers on subjects relating to design, with Tanya Harrod on the Bauhaus enthusiasms of the English handweaver, Ethel Mairet, Sophie Jump, theatre designer and scenographer, on the little-known collaboration between Marcel Breuer and the costume design group, Motley, in 1930s London, followed by Dr Anna Nyburg, on ‘Exiles and Textiles’, the little-known story of official British support for manufacturers fleeing Nazi Germany.

The afternoon programme includes Valeria Carullo, Curator, The Robert Elwall Photographs Collection, RIBA British Architectural Library, speaking on the RIBA Refugee Committee. She is followed by Dr David Haney, author of When Modern was Green, 2010, who considers the afterlife of the Trade Union School at Bernau by the second Bauhaus director, Hannes Meyer, and Professor Frederic Schwartz of UCL who asks ‘What was the Bauhaus?’ – a question that becomes more difficult to answer the more we hear about it.

The final session introduces five lesser-known Bauhäusler in Britain: Jilly Allenby on her grandfather, the sculptor Johannes Ilmari Auerbach; Marcus Williamson on René Halkett, painter, designer broadcaster and lyricist for the punk band Bauhaus; John Allan on the graphic designer George Adams (Teltscher), Rachel Dickson on puppeteer Werner ‘Jacky’ Jackson and Danyel Gilgan on his grandfather, the maker and teacher Wilfred Franks.

Twentieth Century Society Members: £40; Non-members: £50; Students with valid ID: £25

Tickets include refreshments with sandwich lunch and post-conference drinks.

Booking

9.30am – 7.00pm