STOYLER
AN EXHIBITION: REMEMBERING, CELEBRATING AND HONOURING JEWISH MIGRANTS WHO CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE BRITISH FURNITURE INDUSTRY FROM THE LATE 19TH CENTURY TO THE MID 20TH CENTURY.
DURING A TALK FROM TIM RUMNEY (GENERAL MANAGER SCP), I WAS HOOKED ON THE CONVERSION OF THEIR
CURTAIN ROAD HQ FROM A FURNITURE WORKSHOP INTO A MODERN FURNITURE SHOWROOM. THIS LED ME DOWN A PATH OF PERSONAL DISCOVERY INTO THE EAST END FURNITURE INDUSTRY AND ITS IMMEDIATE HISTORICAL CONTEXT TO MY OWN HERITAGE. INSPIRED BY THE BRIEF’S CONNECTION TO SCP, I INVESTIGATED HOW A L ARGE INFLUX OF EAST EUROPEAN JEWS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UK’S FURNITURE INDUSTRY BETWEEN THE 1880S AND 1960S WAS PROPPED UP BY JEWISH MIGRANTS. DISCOVERING HOW MANY OF MY ANCESTORS HAD WORKED IN THE TRADE AT THE TIME,OWNING SMALL BUSINESSES,I DECIDED IT WAS PIVOTAL THAT I ATTEMPTED TO REPRESENT THIS LOST PART OF HISTORY THROUGH MY PROJECT. OFTEN FLEEING STATE-SPONSORED PERSECUTION, THESE JEWISH MIGRANTS BECAME IMPOVERISHED AND THE CONTINUAL TARGET OF ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE UK. DESPITE THIS, THEY MANAGED TO PRODUCE ICONIC PIECES SUCH AS ROBIN DAY’S POLYPROPYLENE CHAIR WHILST DEVELOPING THE ARTS & CRAFT MOVEMENT DURING THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
I HAVE ENCAPSULATED THIS RESEARCH BY CREATING AN EXHIBITION, DESIGNED TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THIS FASCINATING PART OF DESIGN HISTORY. BRINGING TOGETHER RESEARCH OBJECTS WITH CONTEXTUAL VALUE, CURATED ARCHIVAL IMAGES AND FILMS WITH A SYMBOLIC REFERENCE TO MY RESEARCH. I INTEND TO REPRESENT AND GIVE CREDIT TO THIS FORGOTTEN PART OF BRITISH FURNITURE DESIGN HISTORY.
