Heritage

Heal's 200: At The Sign Of The Four Poster

As part of Heal's 200, we have has replaced the old ‘sign of the four poster’ with a faithful reproduction. Once considered a modern logo, the emblem now acts as a symbol of our heritage and reminds us how much tastes and styles have changed over the last two hundred years. The new sign now hangs proudly outside our flagship store on Tottenham Court Road, celebrating the fact that the Fitzrovia location has been our home for two centuries. - Heal’s and the Four Poster Bed From the as early as the 19th century, Heal’s was to become synonymous with the symbol of the four-poster bed. Heal’s itself started as a bedding manufacturer and was the first retailer to introduce French-style feather-filled mattresses to London. From the 1840s, a Heal’s bed was regarded by the middle classes as the best that money could buy. Innovative from the outset, John Harris Heal, the founder of Heal’s, bought advertising space in Charles Dickens’ novels that were issued in monthly shilling parts. Heal & Son promoted its French mattresses in the Pickwick Papers. Despite poor initial sales, Dickens’ 1836 novel catapulted to fame, becoming the publishing sensation of the century. Heal & Son was one of the first companies to see the advertising potential and made regular appearances. Adverts became larger and more elaborate, eventually taking the shape of expensive full-page notices promoting the company’s bedroom furniture. Full page Heal's advertisements in Charles Dickens' novels Ambrose Heal, John Harris’ grandson, joined the family business in 1893. One of his earliest contributions was to adopt a recognisable corporate identity, long before the concept was commonplace amongst retailers. He settled upon a four poster bed with a chequered border which went on to feature on marketing material in various versions all the way through to 1984. A sign was erected outside the Tottenham Court Road store in the 1920s and became known as meeting place for Londoners, akin to the clock at Waterloo station. “At the sign of the four poster” became the ideal spot to meet for a first date. It was taken down several years ago to preserve the original but can currently be found inside the Tottenham Court Road store. The original Sign of the Four Poster The new Sign of the Four Poster As part of our Heal’s 200 celebrations, a new sign has been made by the West London charity, the Goldfinger Factory. Featuring the iconic four poster insignia, the sign is true to the original but reflects Heal’s today – '195' has been replaced with '196' to reflect our up to date address and its frame commemorates our 200th year. Hanna Sunny Whaler reproducing the Sign of the Four Poster We asked Hanna Sunny Whaler, a sign painter and illustrator, to take on the task of producing the new sign. As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting up and coming talent, Hana was the perfect choice. She designs and creates signage by hand from beginning to end using traditional techniques and tricks of the trade that have been passed down the generations. Having graduated from Falmouth University in 2014, she moved to Bristol and travelled as a sole trader around the South West. She recently relocated to South East London and works from her studio and on-location for a wide variety of clients within the city and beyond its borders. The new Sign of the Four Poster You can see the new sign in all its glory at our Tottenham Court Road store where it has now taken up its permanent position outside our flagship.

Heritage

Two Centuries Of Heal's On Tottenham Court Road

The Heal's Building after Edward Maufe's extension in 1937 We’re telling the tale of our flagship store, an iconic building that is recognised the world over. However, what is lesser known is that Heal’s has been a feature of the Tottenham Court Road landscape for a staggering 200 years. Here’s the story of how our reign came to be. Humble Beginnings The year is 1810. Beethoven has composed Fur Elis and Jane Austen is putting the finishing touches on her first novel, Sense & Sensibility. Meanwhile, John Harris Heal decides to establish Heal & Son, a feather-dressing business that brings French-style feather-filled mattresses to the masses. A short while later in 1818, John Harris Heal relocates his feather-dressing business from its original location on Rathbone Place to 203 Tottenham Court Road, marking the beginning of an epic 200-year journey of retail and design on Tottenham Court Road. The Heal's Building 1854 In contrast to the bustling, metropolitan place that it is today, the site was a primarily rural location and the lease even stipulated there must be appropriate accommodation for 40 cows. After John’s death in 1833, his widow, Fanny Heal, preserved with the family business, renamed the firm Fanny Heal & Son, Bedding Manufacturers, and moved the premises in 1840 to the current site at 196 Tottenham Court Road. A New Era After a period of substantial growth, Heal’s needed more retail and workshop space. In 1854, architect James Morant Lockyer – an authority on the Italian Renaissance period – designed a new building in Venetian Palazzo style to incorporate 186-198 Tottenham Court Road. The new Heal’s shop became one of the largest in London. The Heal's Building 1916 Since then the building has continued to evolve. In 1916, the original building was demolished to make way for a modern store for modern times. Cecil Brewer, Ambrose Heal’s cousin and best friend, was tasked with designing the new flagship. He also installed the iconic Cecil Brewer staircase, now known as the most photographed staircase in London, which spirals up through the back of the store. A few years later in 1937, architect Sir Edward Maufe added an impressive southern extension which included a multi-storey Lenscrete vertical window, inspired by his design for Guildford Cathedral. An original advertising illustration from 1937 showing transport links to the store following its extension designed by Edward Maufe. An Ever-Evolving Building Ever since, Heal’s has continued to house some of the world’s most famous designers and furniture brands, cementing itself as a British retail institution. Our heritage is displayed proudly on the store front, with a series of blue and gold plaques that highlight the crafts through which Heal's has made its name — metalwork, pottery, bedding makers, to name a few. We’ve become an enduring presence on London’s ‘Furniture Street’ and while we are joined by a number of other prestigious retailers, no one’s roots are buried as deep as ours. Heal's has witnessed the reign of seven monarchs, three turns of the century, and two world wars. The Heal's building being used to make parachutes during the Second World War In fact, the Heal’s building played a vital role in the World War II. As historian James Taylor explains, “A dramatic rise in consumer expenditure was interrupted by the Second World War. Heal’s, like so many companies, turned from the manufacture of goods for civilian consumption in peacetime to producing the military equipment needed in a war for Britain’s survival.” The Workshops on the upper floors were used by machinists for making parachutes for the Ministry of Aircraft Production. By the summer of 1940, space was so tight that the operation spread beyond the workshops into the showrooms, with more sewing machines set up to cope with the demand. The Next 200 Years The Heal's Building today Over the last two centuries, the landscape of London has changed drastically yet the presence of Heal’s has remained constant. We’ve welcomed millions of people from all over the world through our doors and, with plans for Tottenham Court Road to become increasingly pedestrianized, we plan to welcome millions more over the next 200 years.

Events

Step Back In Time At The Geffrye

Image Credit: Hannah Taylor Situated in a set of 18thcentury almshouses in buzzy Hoxton, the Geffrye Museum explores the home from 1600 to the present day. Perfect for those that are prone to nostalgia, the Geffrye offers visitors the unique experience of stepping back in time to the middle-class living rooms of the past. Starting from 1600, it’s an immersive way to take in domestic history, explore the evolution of design and the changing attitudes towards the home. From the beautiful antiques of the 1800s to the nostalgic feel of the 1990s room sets, there’s something for everyone to see. A highlight is the 1960s living room which features beautiful mid-century designs and plenty of varnished wood that transports you back to the era. Displaying original furniture, including many a design from the Heal’s archive, The Geffrye Museum is a must-visit for every interior design lover. Image credit: Jane Lloyd Unfortunately, there’s not long left to stop by. The Geffrye is set to close its doors on 7th January 2018 for two years in order for work to start on a transformational development project, Unlocking the Geffrye. Before it shuts its doors, the museum has organised a Farewell Party Weekend to say goodbye to both Christmas and the museum. Taking place over two days – Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th January – guests can see the period rooms for the last time, join in the Epiphany celebrations and enjoy live music and performances, street food, crafts for all the family, winter cocktails and special offers in the shop and café. Have a read of what’s on below... Saturday 6 January, 3.30-5pm: Farewell to Christmas Wrap up and get warm by the bonfire in our front gardens – sing along to carols with the London Orphean Brass Band, listen to stories about Epiphany and enjoy a taste of Twelfth Night cake and mulled wine. Sunday 7 January, 10am-5pm: Closing Day party Meet the museum team and hear all about the Geffrye’s plans, get behind the scenes with the curators, play games on the front lawn, get crafty in creative workshops, tuck into winter-warming food and hot cocktails, be entertained by drag queen Timberlina and punk-pop-poet showgirl Brigitte Aphrodite, and join in a traditional East End farewell sing-along around the piano. Although the museum is closing, there will still be plenty of reasons to visit the Geffrye. Events will be run on the front lawn and the restored almshouse will be open for tours on certain days each month. Keep up to date with the latest news and events at www.geffrye-museum.org.uk

Heritage

Modigliani And The Mansard Gallery

A new and exciting exhibition has come to London. The Tate Modern is staging the largest UK retrospective of Amedeo Modigliani’s work – one hundred portraits, including some of his best, painted over the 14 years that Modigliani lived in Paris. Known for his pictorial style and elongated forms, it comes as a surprise that Modigliani met little success in his brief 35 years. Born in Italy, he packed up his easel and moved to Paris in 1906 and settled in Le Bateau-Lavoir, a commune for penniless artists in Montmartre. He transformed himself from a dapper academician artist into a sort of prince of vagabonds, his distaste for his own bourgeois upbringing growing with every passing day. He suffered from poor health throughout his short life, which was often exacerbated by his self-destructive habits, and when he died from tuberculosis in 1920 at the age of 35, his art had never found financial success. He only ever had one solo show as an artist which was closed down by the police and labelled as 'obscene'. His nudes were too shocking and controversial for audiences of the time. Skip ahead a few decades and the story is much different. Described as emotionally intense and seductive, his nudes are among the best-loved paintings of the 20th century. In 2015 one of his nude paintings, Nu Couche, which depicts a reclining naked woman, sold for $170.4 million. Nu Couche, painted in 1917-1918, sold for $170.4 million in 2015 What is lesser known is that that Modigliani actually made his UK debut at the Heal’s Tottenham Court Road store in 1919. Sir Ambrose Heal, the then chairman of the business, had a true passion for art, design and retail. It led him to open Heal’s very own art gallery – known as The Mansard Gallery – on the fourth floor of the building in 1917. Having socialised within artistic circles for many years, Ambrose was able to use his connections to bring some of the world’s best artists to his space. In 1919, writer and poet Sacheverell Sitwell curated the Exhibition of Modern French Art. Held at The Mansard Gallery, it brought the likes to Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and, of course, Amedeo Modigliani to the British public for the first time. We still have record of the poster advertising the exhibition. Designed by William Roberts, the composition sees a group of stylised figures viewed from a high perspective set against a yellow background. The poster advertising The Exhibition of French Art at the Mansard Gallery Modigliani displayed Le Petit Paysan (The Little Peasant), a painting that is said to largely have been influenced by the later works of Cezanne where country workers posed centrally in the canvas and painted predominantly in blue tones. In his preface to the exhibition’s catalogue, writer Arnold Bennett described the exhibition as ‘the first of its kind since the war, and the best of its kind since the celebrated exhibition at the Grafton Galleries many years ago.” The exhibition was widely praised by modernist critics such as Roger Fry who, upon seeing the show, commented ‘what innumerable different version, one can enjoy in this gallery!’ Le Petit Paysan (The Little Peasant) painted in 1918 Others were less impressed by the new style of paintings on show. Literary giant Evelyn Waugh later referred to the daring modern forms in his 1939 short story Work Suspended as ‘those vague assemblages of picnic litter which used to cover the walls of the Mansard Gallery in the early twenties.’ Despite the criticism, Modigliani has become one of the most cherished artists of the modernist movement. Ambrose’s championing of the struggling artist reinforces what has come to be synonymous with the beloved chairman - that he really was ahead of his time in every aspect of his life. Modigliani is on at the Tate Modern until 2nd April 2018.

Events

Heal's Festival Of Light 2017

The Heal’s Festival of Light is back for its second year, with more of the world’s finest designer lighting brands on display at our Tottenham Court Road store. This year we welcome pieces from Lasvit, Ferm, Northern Lighting and New Works who have all designed stunning installations that spread across the ground floor of our flagship. There are also new designs from our established favourites including Anglepoise, Anna Jacobs, Flos, Tala, Tom Dixon and Tom Raffield. Highlights include Tom Raffield's Woodland, a fully sized tree designed for Heal's to re-focus the spotlight on the use of Ash wood within design. Hand-crafted using Tom's unique technique of steam-bending, his Ash tree is a celebration of British craft. Also on display and exclusively available at Heal’s is the new Voronoi III from Tala. Having made its debut at this year's London Design Festival, the world’s largest sculptural bulb has now found its way to our store where a striking display takes centre stage in our front window. The organic forms in this collection stem from the Voronoi pattern found in the forest canopy and a singular spiral of LED filament mimics the Fibonacci sequence seen in pine cones and ferns. We also welcome Czech glass brand, Lasvit, who have a simple aim of creating breath-taking light and design experiences using the Bohemian glass that its country is renowned for. Combining traditional techniques with innovative technologies, Lasvit creates bespoke lighting installations that are just as much pieces of art as they are functional lighting designs. Displaying four of its premium lighting designs, be sure to take a close look at Yakisugi - a collaboration between Lasvit and Kengo Kuma. Kuma questioned the materiality of glass and natural wood by combining the two distinct textures within one striking design. Molten glass is poured into wooden moulds, charring the inner layer and leaving a permanent imprint of its scorched texture on the glass’s surface. It’s a magic moment when a living wood texture is eternally captured. With plenty more to see in store, stop by our Tottenham Court Road flagship before the 6th November 2017.

Events

The Heal’s London Design Festival 2017 Roundup

It's been a busy week at the Heal's Tottenham Court Road store. In case you missed it, here are some of our highlights from London Design Festival 2017. LDF installation For this year’s London Design Festival we knew we wanted to do something special. We decided to team up with architecture and interior design firm, Jetico + Whiles, who designed a colourful wave of ribbons that ran through the ground floor of our Tottenham Court Road store. The colours were inspired by the tones found in our new AW17 collection, with jewel tones and dusty pinks taking centre stage. Nearly 4 kilometres of ribbon were hand cut by members of the Heal’s team in the run-up to the Festival before being meticulously attached to metal frames. This theme was continued to the exterior of the building - the iconic Heal’s flags were given a makeover and mirrored the ribbon effect inside. The result was a visually striking installation that provided a stunning backdrop to our LDF. Dinner with the Designers To celebrate London Design Festival 2017, we welcomed a number of Heal’s designers, collaborators and influencers to our flagship store on Tottenham Court Road. It was the return of ‘Dinner with the Designers’, our annual feast that sees some of the biggest names in the interiors industry come together under one roof. Heal’s designers past and present rubbed shoulders with emerging talent, established editors and industry experts all in the name of celebrating another year of innovation. Following a champagne reception amongst some of our new designs for AW17, guests were led to our 100 foot long dining table that was set under our bespoke LDF installation. The table was laid with glassware from Riedel and flowers from Highgate Flowers. Amongst the guests were a number of internationally renowned designers including Russell Pinch, Matthew Hilton, Michelle Ogundehin, Deborah Barker, Barbara Chandler, Sir Kenneth Grange, Janice Morley, Pip McCormac. The Heal's LDF Party The following night, we opened our doors to the public and threw a Scandinavian-themed party for every design lover in London. With ABBA playing in the background, guests were treated to canapes from Snaps + Rye, cider from Alska, and a Cointreu cocktail bar. Workshops were spread throughout the three floors of the store including mid-century collage with Eloise Renouf, paper crafting and printing with Marcus Walters and Scandi crafting with Emily Dawe Myer Halliday gave a captivating demonstration of his ceramic painting and Yam Studio gave an interior styling masterclass within our Brunel apartment. To see the full album of images, head to our Facebook page.