The latest schedule is here – it includes Art Deco architecture, gas-lit streets, evocative alleyways and ghostsigns – an A-Z of my walks and talks is here.
Any requests? Please do make suggestions if there are specific tours you'd like to see added to the schedule (no obligation).
This site views best via the web version – simply click the link at the bottom of the page
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| Streamline Moderne |
"Enjoyed all the 6 Art deco walks I have done so far and opened my eyes to the 30s style of architecture which [turns out to be] more varied than I thought. Looking forward to doing more walks in the future." More customer reviews and feedback here
A-Z by area/title
Walking tours and online talks via Zoom looking at how the statement buildings of the 1920s and 1930s made substantial changes to London's streets during a significant building boom that blew away the cobwebs from the fussy and time-consuming designs of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Post-WW1, new building processes and clean geometric designs were implemented by architects who were keen to prove that the future was clean and bright. A motivational style evolved that we have come to recognise today using the collective term 'Art Deco'. But what is Art Deco?
Today, we marvel at these modernist survivors but, it's worth considering that, at the time they were built, not everyone would have been so impressed – they were, in effect, the Shards and Cheesegraters of their day.
The clean lines and design devices of the ArtDeco/modernist era have continued to inspire architects ever since.
My 'Art Deco' walks and talks are listed below by location/title.
To see the main A-Z menu of walks and talks click here.
A collection of underrated, often overlooked, architectural gems from the interwar era, all hiding in plain view. Each building is a stop on one of my walking tours. I have selected a cross-section of diverse architectural styles from Jazz Age metalwork, through geometrical patterns, tiled façades and fancy brickwork to the simplicity of Streamline Moderne.
Other walks in the Holloway area also available (Victorian shops, ghostsigns, literature), see here
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Egyptian temples, utilitarian offices, faience tiles, Vitrolite and veneers, as well as Tudor and Georgian influences that were put to good use at that time.
Other walks in the Angel and Upper Street area also available (Victorian shops, ghostsigns, housing, etc), see here
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Angel South / Finsbury
Walk – City Road to Exmouth Market via Mount Pleasant
(Coming soon)
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We'll visit places of entertainment, commerce, education, travel and sport as well as residential properties. You'll see a cross-section from the era including impressive statement pieces of the 1930s and an unfinished scheme. And we'll talk about typography and design, and how the design ethos of this era has endured through subsequent decades.
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Bank – See City
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Bankside and Battersea Power Stations
A virtual tour
An online presentation about Sir Giles Gilbert Scott – a prolific architect and interesting man. Find out about the buildings he designed and was connected with, his signature style, his ubiquitous red kiosks, and his flights of fancy.
A guided walking tour from Westminster to The City via Bankside is in the making
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An alternative Bloomsbury Art Deco walk looking at some overlooked or unnoticed not-so-hidden gems. We'll begin with a couple of the well-known 1930s constructions in
the vicinity, including one building which is often referred to as one
of the best examples of its style. We'll travel eastwards to admire other often overlooked or unnoticed gems hiding in plain sight in the lesser-used backstreets – residential and office developments, hospital buildings, education hubs, manufactories and bars. You'll see some wonderful
examples of Streamline Moderne, Jazz Age metalwork, carved reliefs and
curtain walls. Find out about the innovative industries and institutions
behind the façades and hear how people lived, worked and socialised in
the 1930s.
There's a chance at the end of the walk to join me for a
drink and a chat inside a pub of the era which still retains most of its
original features.
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Bloomsbury North – see Kings Cross/St Pancras
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As per my Bloomsbury East tour, we start with a couple of well-known buildings near Russell Square and then go 'off-piste' to admire some unsung, overlooked and often unnoticed gems – hard to believe, considering their impressive size and the quality of workmanship.
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Along the route you'll see various examples of the era – on shops and businesses along the High Street and on factories, offices and residential properties in the back streets. We'll visit buildings that have been repurposed or revamped and you'll hear about, and see reference of, others that made it through WWII but bit the dust in subsequent waves of progressive change during the second half of the twentieth century. Please don't worry about the Camden market crowds – the route is designed so that there is only one instance when we'll have to cut through them!
The Carreras factory building shown here (AKA The Black Cat building / Greater London House) is also available as an online presentation
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Central – see Soho, Piccadilly, Holborn, also Egypt
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Let me take you on a tour through The Square Mile's narrow backstreets and along its main thoroughfares to show you that squidged in amongst today's glass and high-rise edifices there are some marvellous 1920s and 1930s architectural gems hiding in plain view.
We'll look at a variety of imposing styles that show how the world of
finance and insurance used the clean lines of this era to best
advantage via Jazz Age metalwork, carved wood and stone reliefs,
ziggurat and zig-zag embellishments, and beautifully-tiled façades.
Discover who built these impressive structures and
what went on inside. Hear about shopping and shipping, money and
markets, tea and coffee, fine art and fire... even horse-racing!
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See a variety of Jazz Age embellishments, marvellous Modernism
and 'Art Deco' artistry on places of commerce, entertainment,
employment, trade and learning, including six marvellous theatres, a
couple of hotels, an art school and even a fruit and vegetable merchant.
We'll visit some unsung Deco-era constructions that are [shamefully] rarely included in those "Best Of" listings and we'll peek inside some impressive interiors.
Hear about the buildings and the people who commissioned them. Find out about the architects and artists, products and productions, reviews and revues.
Other walks in this area also available – see here
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Clerkenwell / St Luke's – Bauhaus, Workhouse, Our House
Walk – Old Street to Clerkenwell Green
Coming soon... Modernist manufactories, wonderful workshops and fabulous flats
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Forty years of architectural change.
Find out about some of the interwar buildings that have recently been lost to us. Hear about heritage, conservation, façadism, renovation and rejuvenation. Learn about the new structures that replace the old.
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Earl's Court – see Demolished
Also features on my walk around the Olympia area – see architecture section here
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A selection of large buildings, simply hiding in plain view, selected for their diverse architectural styles and superb embellishments. Many of these buildings feature as stops on my walking tours. There are sure to be a couple here that you were not aware about before despite their huge size(!).
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Finsbury Park – walking tour – see Arsenal
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This haunt of writers, creatives and garment manufacturers offers a patchwork of architectural styles. Squished between the Georgian houses and the C21st glass there are some really interesting buildings erected in the 1920s and '30s, showing us a cross-section of the architectural styles implemented in that era. Of particular interest on this tour is the use of pattern within render and brickwork – I have some theories as to who might have been involved.
For a residential-specific online tour – see Living
You might also like my ghostsigns walk in this area – see here
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The district north-east of Oxford Circus around Great Titchfield Street was, until the 21st century, the home of the clothing and soft furnishings industry, and this makes sense, considering its proximity to the main shopping streets. We'll look at manufactories, distribution hubs and head offices for many of the brands being sold in the big department stores nearby. You've probably walked these streets many times and never seen the delights above street level all hiding in plain view. We'll also look at buildings constructed for education and entertainment, including BBC Broadcasting House. This walk ends at RIBA, itself an impressive showcase of 1930s architecture.
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Hatton Garden – See Smithfield
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Holborn – Cables, Collars and Commonwealth
Walk – Holborn tube station to Aldwych
Temple-esque architecture of all kinds – art, advertising, technology, transport, theatre, fashion, finance and furniture. Marvel at statement façades including a recent renovation that I am sure will be cause for conversation.
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The Holloway area of Islington, a short distance from the City and the West End, has for over 150 years been the go-to shopping area for North London. In the 1930s many well-established businesses were keen to keep up with the
design zeitgeist and rebuilt their shop fronts, if not the whole building, in the then new forward-thinking modern style of the time. There are some excellent examples of pre-WW2 modernism here, all hiding in plain view –
we'll look at places of entertainment, commerce and health, as well as
some residential properties. One building, in particular, designed by one of the best architects of the time, is sure to impress – I can never understand why it's not on those 'Art Deco Best of London' lists.
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See how the area just south of Euston Road has evolved to include some Art Deco and Modernist delights that are hidden in the gaps
between the very old and the very new.
Join me for a meander through back streets and green squares
to see evidence of inter-war technology and connections of various
kinds. Plus impressive residential developments, sports halls, places of
learning and social hubs. This will include looking at a building site where a where a large 1930's tranport hub was recently demolished.
At the end of the walk we'll look inside a 1930s pub
that has some lovely original features including some evocative Jazz Age marquetry – perfect
for an after-walk cocktail or a half of shandy.
You might also like my ghostsigns walk in the KX area – see here
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Independent living. Innovative 1930s design. Streamlined and serviced. Economical, luxurious and convenient. All mod cons.
A virtual tour/ online presentation
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Mayfair – a walking tour around the Bond Street area – a work in progress
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The title refers to slacks as in trousers, flicks as in cinema and slots as in machines you put coins in. This short route through the three yellow squares on
the London version of the Monopoly board, also from the same era, packs
in so much.We start within Piccadilly tube station, one of
London Underground's best designed booking halls, and then we go up to
pavement level to look at some impressive 1930s buildings – shops,
telecommunications, offices and, of course, various places of
entertainment. Hear the stories behind the façades, learn about the
people and businesses associated with them.
We will also look inside some original interiors.
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This route showcases a cross-section of styles of the era – solid statement architecture, simple geometry, curtain walls, Egyptian inspiration and 'Streamline Moderne' which echoes the fabulous ocean-going liners. We'll look at places of literature, commerce, manufacture, health, and housing. You'll hear about the people and/or companies related to the façades and see how the style has endured and continues to inspire today's architects.
You might also like my ghostsigns walk in this area – see here
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Residential – See Living (online talk)
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From leather and diamonds, pottery and pearls via heists and firearms to mire, meat, murder. Join me for a walk through various market areas in the Holborn
and Charterhouse districts to at look at a selection of mid-20th century
modernist architecture.
This constantly-evolving district shows us a marvellous cross-section
of architecture through the centuries. Obviously, we'll be
concentrating on 1920s façades, 1930s offices, 1950s factories,
functional constructions, fancy concoctions and film location. Learn about Miami Deco, streamline moderne, luxury lino, gold stores, cold stores and... find out whodunnit!
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There are some really impressive examples of Art Deco architecture
along this route. I guarantee you'll find at least one building
with the 'wow' factor and wonder how you managed to walk past it for so
long without really noticing it.
Both long-established and newly-created businesses
were keen to show they were part of the zeitgeist. You'll see the clean lines of the 1930s applied in various ways to
places of commerce, art, health, housing and entertainment, including one of the largest purpose-built office buildings of that era. Find out who
built these impressive structures and what when on behind the façades.
You might also like my ghostsigns walk in the Brick Lane and Spitalfields area – see here
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Soho's charm is due to it being a village contained within four major
roads. It might seem busy today but in the interwar years of the '20s and '30s it was even more congested. By day it was a hive of activity with shops, cafés,
markets, schools, artisans and craftsmen, then, as the sun went down,
the streets buzzed with nightlife as people, dressed in their finest
clothes, made for the best or cocktail bars, restaurants, casinos and
theatres.
During this "Jazz Age" era a lot of impressive
buildings were constructed in the new motivational style implementing
clean geometric lines, pared-down motifs and shiny tiles, often in
contrast to their crazy patterned interiors – Soho has some fine
examples.
See evidence of this area's vibrant movie-making
history, film stars and flappers, fabulous fabrics, colourful cabaret
venues and even a classy carpark. We will also visit a restored and
revamped 1930s interior. I am sure you will find a new "Art Deco" favourite along the way.
You might also like my ghostsigns walk in this area – see here
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Jazz Age Jazz Hands!
Thirteen Art Deco theatres built or renovated in the central London area between 1924 and 1937 with eight new theatres completed within a 13-month period 1929-30 and opening
nights often being within weeks of each other. See how the architecture of that time evolved from Art Nouveau into Jazz Age geometrics and then Streamline Moderne.
The virtual tour (online presentation via Zoom) is a chronology. The walking tour takes a clockwise route from Tottenham Court Rd station to Piccadilly and is designed to last 3hrs, including a half hour break mid-way.
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Tottenham Court Rd area – see Bloomsbury / Covent Garden / Fitzrovia
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West End – See Soho, Piccadilly, Mayfair, Theatreland etc – also see East End (really!)
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Whitechapel – walking tour coming soon – meanwhile, see East End
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My ghostsigns walks and talks are listed below by location/title.
To see the main A-Z menu of walks and talks click here.
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Camden – Gin, Drugs and Shopping
Walk – Mornington Crescent to The Roundhouse via Camden Lock
Potions and lotions, beds and breakfast, bacon, booze and bars. Hear about Camden's varied history – bygone businesses, huge warehouses and manufactories, breweries, bakers, artists, chemists and furnishers. Plus breakfast cereals, pain relief and chewing gum. We'll mostly be in the back streets so please don't fret about shoppers and tourists in the busy main drag – there'll only be one short section when we might have to negotiate crowds and I havent' lost anyone yet.
Also in Camden: Kentish Town / Kings Cross (see below) – for Art Deco Camden see main list
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Chemists – see Pills and Potions / Barnsbury / Kings Cross
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Covent Garden
Walk – Holborn to St Giles via Long Acre and Seven Dials
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This quiet zone just north f Oxford Street boasts an excellent cross-section of signs from bygone days including this marvellous mosaic. There are also hand-painted signs along the way advertising an intriguingly diverse range of trades and business that used to be be here, such as bookshops, antique dealers, wireworkers, architects and plumbers' merchants. We'll also stop to look at some interesting buildings whose exteriors give away they original function.
One happy customer said: "I've attended about six of your ghostsigns walks and every walk was fab. This one was my absolute favourtite (so far!!)"
Other walks in this area – see main list
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Holloway Road
Two routes – guided walks / online talks via Zoom
Archway to Nags Head
Nags Head to Highbury Corner
This busy thoroughfare boasts a very good cross-section of old signage. As part of the A1, Holloway Road connects the City of London to Scotland and for centuries has been a perfect conduit for advertisements and promotion. We look at old signs advertising medicinal products, estate agents, musical instruments, foodstuffs and alcohol, cafés and hairdressing. A couple of hand-painted signs that made it through WWII but have been recently over-painted are still included being as the stories behind the products are so good and there's every chance the lettering will reappear as the modern water-based paint peels away over time.
You might also like Holloway Heyday, Holloway Pubs, Diary of a Nobody and Literary Holloway – see main list
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Islington – Make Walking a Pleasure
Walk – Upper Street, Camden Passage, Angel and Chapel Market
We start this walk near Islington Town Hall by one of the sites that first got me interested in this hand-painted form of advertising. And from there we take a meandering route to end up a stone's throw from Angel tube station. Along the way I'll point out some marvellously preserved old signage and you'll hear about a diverse range of products and businesses, such as children's toys, rubber mats, bogus potions and men's hats. I will also point out other types of 'ghostsigns' along the way. The title of this walk is taken from one of the signs you'll see on the tour.
Also see Regents Canal ghostsigns walk which starts near Angel tube station
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Kentish Town – Wireworks to Waterworks
Walk/online – Camden Town station to Kentish Town station (or vice-versa)
We think of Kentish Town as being the area around the station but it actually started further south around St Pancras Old Church, just north of the main railway station of the same name. The village became a town and spread in a linear fashion northwards towards Highgate. This walk starts and finishes adjacent to two different railway lines. You'll see how transport connections via rail, and via canal, played a big part in altering the façades of previously well-to-do Georgian streets. front gardens became shops, back gardens became manufactories. Kentish Town Road and the streets around it has many hints of history hiding in plain view and the stories behind the old signs are intriguing
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King's Cross – Scales, Weights and Weighing Machines
Walk – Circular from Kings Cross Station
When the railways arrived and changed this area in the mid-1850s, many businesses were quick to move in and seize the opportunity, whether as a good location for manufacture and distribution or as great location to open a restaurant or a shop. By the 1880s, the brickwork on many façades was barely visible beneath a patchwork of hand-painted lettering advertising all kinds of products including breakfast foods, motor oil, newspapers and precision instruments. We'll look at some marvellous examples that still cling to the walls – innovative inventions, Italian dining rooms, alcohol, boot polish and bogus potions. You'll also hear about the signmakers themselves and we'll look at the HQ of one of the companies who managed the lucrative advertising sites.
Other walks in the Kings Cross Area – see main list
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Made in London
Online talk about signs that advertise products and businesses that were manufactured in London
Online talks can cover a wider area and, by cherry-picking from my walking tours, I can offer talks on themes such as this one bringing together a range of businesses that manufactured in London, evidence of their companies or products, still visible on the walls of their old premises. Hear about a wide range of companies making products beer, garments, toys, tobacco, matches, machines and more.
One happy attendee wrote: "Jane, these talks are fascinating. I really wish I didn't live so far away so that I could come and see these amazing signs in the flesh, so to speak."
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There is a marvellous selection of ads of various kinds along this route. We'll look at hand-painted signs for tradesmen and well-known brands as well as tiled shops fronts displaying the name of companies well-known to us but no longer trading today.
We'll travel from the once well-to-do shops adjacent to Kensington Gardens, along Portobello Road, known for it's vibrant antiques market, and into Ladbroke Grove, stopping to admire signboards and faded ads. I'm pretty sure that many local residents won't have noticed some of the signs I've found to show you.
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It's amazing how there are so many signs that advertise products that are no longer available at the local chemist's shop, such as lozenges and lotions, pills and potions. Find out about how the firms who made the products and how they promoted their products to appeal to as wide a demographic as possible. There are some fascinating and colourful stories in here – learn about cure-all creams and liquids that contained what we now consider to be dangerous chemicals, and others that were little more than fizzy water or harmless tree sap.
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Regent's Canal, Islington – Boxes, Babies, Beans and Bras
Walk – Angel tube station to The Rosemary Branch, Southgate Road
A wander along, above and around the Regents Canal in Islington following a trail of old painted signs that hint at the area's rich history. We'll be looking mostly at hand-painted-onto-walls signs including the one shown here. See and hear about a diverse range of companies and products from ladies' underwear and fancy boxes to metals and ceramics.
You might also like 'Waterways, Wharves and Warehouses' in the main list here
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Georgian shops, woodworkers, well-dressed waiters, past times and pastiches. See how beautiful residential houses were transformed into shops and restaurants. Zig-zag through the cobbled backstreets to see where tradesmen worked with wood, leather and metal. And see signs that hint at the area's French history.
Other walks in Soho – Art Deco / French / Italians – see main list
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