The Way We Live Now

Penny-farthings, bread, and teapots – just some of the things David Mentiply saw on his big day out to the Museum of London and the Design Museum.

Museum of London

There used to be lots of these things wizzing around London.

This tray of bread was spotted in the “Victorian London” section.

Harris and Judith Grodzinski migrated from Tsarist Lithuania to the East End in the late 1880s. They hired kosher ovens and started baking bilkelekh – bread rolls made with eggs – for Shabbat meals and Jewish holidays. They now have stores open in Stamford Hill and Edgware, as well as Toronto.

Design Museum

Terrence Conran’s The Way We Live Now exhibition is currently on at the Design Museum.

Conran built the Habitat brand and was at the forefront of designing fresh and striking domestic furnishings after the Second World War. His flagship store in London’s fashionable King’s Road was a focal point for trendy, young creative types in the swinging sixties.

Notice how the teapots are piled high. This was one of Conran’s trademark innovations. He wanted to catch the customers’ attention and show off his bountiful wares. This was inspired by trips to France where Conran was impressed by the way that market traders would display their produce. The “pile ‘em high” approach is still used by pretty much every major retail store today.

Here are some giant pencils.

And a clever sign.

Oh and a room.

The Way We Live Now is on until 4th March. It’s well worth a visit.