Heritage

From The Archive: Mid-Century Posters by Charles Feeney

A dose of midweek mid-century from the Heal's archive with original artwork and prints from unsung design hero Charles Feeney. While Heal's is quite rightly celebrated for it's long history of producing and sourcing quality made furniture, a quick delve into the archives reveals a wealth of graphic design and promotional imagery. Perhaps the most iconic of them all are the 1950s poster designs of Charles Feeney, their bold style capturing the optimism of the era and many of which have featured on our vintage series of kitchen linens. Despite having produced some of Heal's most iconic poster designs, Charles Feeney is largely unknown outside of the business and even then information is hard to come by. What we do know is that Feeney's primary role was as in-house display manager for our stores, or as we call it nowadays a Visual Merchandiser, in charge of the window displays and general appearance of the showrooms. While images from the time testify to his great skill in the role, it's his eye-catching poster designs that have left a lasting legacy. Hand drawn and painted before then being screen printed, these rare images reveal the process of each design with visible pencil lines, notes and brush marks alongside six decades of wear and tear. Our Heritage Our Heritage Back to top

Heritage

Child's Play: Ambrose Heal At The Vanda

The latest addition to the V&A’s collection, the Joan Chair is an invaluable piece of Ambrose Heal’s Arts & Crafts design. Dating from 1901, this one-off chair was commissioned by leather tycoon Joseph Angus for his youngest child Joan, and is just one of a number of pieces made by Heal & Son especially for the Angus family. A rare example of Arts & Crafts furniture designed specifically for children, the Joan was crafted from fumed oak within Heal’s workshops on the site of our Tottenham Court Road store. The ecclesiastical style and tall proportions were designed by Ambrose to display the stunning inlay of winged cherubs, lily and rose motifs even in use. Evocative of stain-glass memorials, these intricate decorations were the work of Joan’s oldest sister Christine, a former student at the Slade School of Fine Art and a pupil of the famous painter Walter Sickert, whom she married in 1911. Imagery alone cannot do the craftsmanship and intricate inlay of the Joan any justice. So it’s just as well that the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green have made this rare piece a part of their permanent display for all ages to enjoy. Our Heritage Back to top

Events

Heal's Highlights Of 2015

Alongside two seasons of new design, this year has been our busiest yet for events. While we can’t fit them all into one post, here are a just a few of the many highlights in what has been a fantastic 2015. Now a firm staple in the capitals design calendar, this year’s Heal’s Modern Craft Market played host to an array of exciting design talent, workshops and the first in our Great Heal’s Bodging Race. London's premier lighting destination, our Queens store on Westbourne Grove opened its doors in May this year. Housed within a beautifully restored art deco cinema, the concept store is decked out in a bespoke interior by Matt Elton. From sewing to screen printing, talks to terrariums, Heal's has played host to a diverse range of events including: Eley Kishimoto in Conversation (top left), London Terrariums Workshop (top right), Louise Wilkinson live mural drawing (bottom left) and Claire De Quenetain fabric painting. In 1951 Heal’s introduced Scandinavian furniture to the UK with a huge party including a ‘smorgasbod’ on the fourth floor and a cannon from a Swedish warship in the entrance! Sixty-four years later we hosted Swedish Summer at our Tottenham Court Road store showcasing 20 new Nordic brands. Kicking off London Design Festival in style, September saw the great and the good of the design world raise a toast as part of our ‘Dinner with the Designers’ event. Transforming Heal's into a banqueting hall fit for a feast, the evening brought together a host of internationally renowned designers including Sir Kenneth Grange (top left) and Sebastian Cox (bottom right). Top left: Becky Sunshine of The Pool interviews Tom Dixon at our Meet the Designer event. Bottom left: hosted by award winning London guide Peter Berthoud, There is a Light took guests on a tour of London's lighting landmarks. Right: Joining Grown in Britain chief exec Dougal Driver, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Elizabeth Truss paid a visit to our flagship store to meet the teams behind the collections, and officially launch Grown In Britain Week. With next year's Modern Craft Market already shaping up to be bigger than ever, all we can say is bring on 2016! What's On Back to top

Events

Tom Dixon Design Talk

On Wednesday we welcomed Tom Dixon back to our flagship store for the latest in our Meet the Designer series of events. Held within the beautiful setting of our fabrics department, the packed audience were treated to a personal insight into the designer’s life and work with Becky Sunshine of The Pool acting as host throughout the evening. Matching the relaxed atmosphere with artisan drinks, G-Vine Gin and Fever Tree were also on hand to keep the uber-hip crowd refreshed. After all, what better way to enjoy an evening of design than with a finely crafted gin and tonic? Head to our events page to see our line-up of future designer talks, workshops and exclusive parties.

Heritage

Remembering Ambrose Heal At The Vanda

The figurehead of British modernism, Sir Ambrose Heal has had a lasting impact on both Heal’s and the design community at large. In a special talk at the esteemed V&A museum, his grandson the writer Oliver Heal will be exploring the life and work of Ambrose Heal from his pioneering Arts & Crafts furniture to his pivotal role in founding the UK Design Council. During his time as director at Heal’s, Ambrose brought well designed contemporary furniture to the masses. Not only did he introduce London’s homes to the Art Deco and Modernist movements but was also the first in Britain to exhibit works by Picasso and Modigliani at Heal’s infamous Mansard gallery. With such a rich history to choose from this talk promises to be a fascinating and insightful evening. Visit the V&A’s events page to book your tickets. When: Tuesday 17th November 2015, 18:30 – 20:00 Where: The Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Lecture Theatre, V&A Museum Discover more about our heritage.

Stores

If You Go Down To The Woods Today

As part of the team that created the Celebration of Wood display in Heal's Tottenham Court Road, every time I pass the windows I have to pinch myself. It’s hard to imagine, let alone find, a store willing to have logs, boards and wood chips spread across their beautiful shop floor! Yet Heal's have supported Grown in Britain from the start of our campaign and remain a strong advocate for promoting home-grown wooden furniture from well managed British woodlands and forests. Though I feel privileged to have had a full career in forestry, I am acutely aware that many in society struggle to connect the wooden items they use in their daily lives to the management of our woodlands. That’s where Heal’s comes in. Strolling through the store, one is struck by the level of focus placed on the materials used, which often take equal billing alongside the design and craft of each piece. The Celebration of Wood continues this tradition by illustrating the process of transforming raw materials into a fully formed table. Each of the ash logs on display has been felled from the stem of the timber within the Balcombe sawmills, before being cut into boards and stacked to naturally air and dry. Alongside these sit Scottish Larch, Sussex Oak and Dorset Beech, many of which are also used widely throughout Heal's collections of classic and contemporary furniture. So if you go down to the woods today, there is plenty to see. The rich diversity of timbers provides endless opportunities for design, from traditionally crafted furniture to innovative new processes. When battling the elements to sustainably grow quality trees, it's rewarding to know the material is in good hands. Dougal Driver is a Forester and a founding member of Grown in Britain.