In the 1930s, Hampstead occupied a unique place in the story of British art and architecture. This was largely due to the number of talented, predominantly Jewish, refugees from Nazi-dominated Europe who settled there, as well as the Brits who welcomed and worked alongside them, including fashion and war photographer Lee Miller and her husband, the painter and ICA co-founder Roland Penrose. We’ll explore the area’s artistic legacy, visiting sites including the iconic Isokon Flats, Britain’s first reinforced concrete residency, where tenants included architect Walter Gropius, author Agatha Christie and a disconcerting number of Communist spies; 2 Willow Road, the modernist house designed by the pioneering, if sometimes controversial, Hungarian-born architect Ernő Goldfinger; and Mall Studios, home to what Herbert Read famously described as a “gentle nest of artists”, among them Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson.
Led by JR’s art critic Monica Bohm-Duchen, an art historian and founding director of Insider/Outsiders. Comfortable walking shoes recommended; the route, while not strenuous, is at times hilly.
Meeting point: Hampstead Tube Station, London, NW3 1QG
Places are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment.
Pictured: Isokon Flats on opening day, 9 July 1934 © Edith Tudor-Hart
If for any reason you are unable to use your tickets, we offer a flexible exchange service. Tickets can be exchanged for credit valid to use on any other JR event or product for up to 12 months. In order to take advantage of this service, we will need to be notified no later than 48 hours before the event. Please email operations@jewishrenaissance.org.uk to receive your exchange code.
