En route to the Whitechapel Gallery I stopped off at The Geffrye Museum, in ‘orrible ‘ackney. And where else but Hackney would you expect to find a museum devoted to the changing styles of the middle class living room since the sixteenth century?
The museum’s ‘how to get here’ instructions are admirable, except, of course, for one means of transport which is missing. No prizes for spotting which one it is.
The museum is free, is architecturally unusual (go round the back), is packed with interesting material, including paintings, and has gardens at the back laid out according to historical periods. It has an exhibition area devoted to contemporary material, a shop and a swish café. There’s an assistant who supplies fun material for small children. All in all it’s well worth a visit. They also don’t mind you taking photographs. And since the museum won’t tell you, I will. It has eight cycle stands, just inside the main entrance.
(Below) 1930s interior
(Below) 1960s chic
