This blog was first published on the MODA website in 2022. Hendon has a fascinating range of housing types which reveal much about social, design and architectural history in just a few streets. Far from being a sleepy suburb, Hendon is a place of rapid change: one house (with a plaque) has now been demolished [...]
As 2023 draws to a close and with so much bad news around housing, I am trying to finish on a positive note. In this post I have drawn together several pieces I have written for the wonderful Municipal Dreams blog https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com which celebrates the fundamental achievements in council housing and the commitment of so [...]
I am really pleased to host Josh Knowles' post this month including the lovely artwork he created during a recent creative histories session (details below). I think the arts define the history of housing and buildings. The art (and therefore) cultural ideas of a place are the lens through which we build and define the [...]
I've long been interested in the development of Garden Cities and #HouseHistoryHour (28 April 2022) offered the opportunity to share some of this information, now available as Moments and forming the basis of this blog. The Garden Cities movement was a response to poor housing in polluted cities and created healthier living environments. The movement [...]
Happy new year to everyone. This post has in fact been in the making for years – further delayed by Covid-related workload – as I have tried to collect my thoughts and fill in gaps and it can still only scratch the surface of understanding something about the history of flats. Some flats and indeed [...]
I am delighted to host this post from Zoë Hendon, Head of Museum Collections, Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture. Britain produced around 100 million rolls of wallpaper per year by the 1930s. Wallpaper was affordable commodity with prices ranging from a few pence per roll to several shillings, to suit the customer’s pocket. [...]
Nick Hedges really is the most astonishing documentary photographer. When I found that his book was going to be published, I just had to get a copy. Fifty year's on, his work for Shelter still provides impetus. You can read more about some of Nick's inspirations in his work here. I have worked in housing for [...]
I was delighted to be asked to co-host Housing History Hour https://www.househistoryhour.co.uk on 4thFebruary at 7pm (GMT) and this post draws together more online resources that can be helpful to those wishing to learn more. Please click here to see the #HouseHistoryHour Moments from that event. I am constantly finding new resources and am putting [...]
Amanda Gorman’s recital at Biden’s inauguration demonstrated once again the power of poetry and its value in communicating feelings that may otherwise be difficult to express, particular around power and powerlessness, hope or hopelessness and our sense of belief in being able to effect change, or not. This poet laureate has me inspired to finalise [...]
A previous post looked at some films related to housing, and this post focuses on historical documentary type films that help us to understand what has happened in the past in addressing poor housing conditions, in particular area clearance and redevelopment programmes. This is a complex subject, involving not only physical housing conditions and management, [...]
