Exhibition Books

The Town of Tomorrow: 50 Years of Thamesmead

£29.00

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Rising from London’s Erith marshes in the 1960s, Thamesmead – now home to over 40,000 people – was London County Council’s bold attempt to build a new town to address the city’s housing shortage after the Second World War Noted for its daring, experimental design – concrete modern terraces, blocks of flats and elevated walkways built around a system of lakes and canals – the town received attention from architects, sociologists and politicians throughout the world but also gained notoriety as the backdrop to Stanley Kubrick’s film, ‘A Clockwork Orange’ In ‘The Town of Tomorrow’, 50 years of Thamesmead’s history have been assembled and preserved. The architecture of the town and its inhabitants are captured by archive material combined with newly commissioned photography by Tara Darby Original plans, models, postcards, leaflets and newspaper cuttings are presented alongside interviews with local residents. Together with an introductory essay by John Grindrod, the images convey the story of this pioneering town, from the dreams and excitement of its ambitious original vision to the complex realities of living there today

BFI Film Classics: 2001: A Space Odyssey

£12.99

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Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is widely regarded as one of the best films ever made. It has been celebrated for its beauty and mystery, its realistic depiction of space travel and dazzling display of visual effects, the breathtaking scope of its story, which reaches across millions of years, and the thought-provoking depth of its meditation on evolution, technology and humanity's encounters with the unknown 2001 has been described as the most expensive avant-garde movie ever made and as a psychedelic trip, a unique expression of the spirit of the 1960s and as a timeless masterpiece Peter Kramer's insightful study explores the complex origins of the film, the unique shape it took and the extraordinary impact it made on contemporary audiences. Drawing on new research in the Stanley Kubrick Archive at the University of the Arts London, Kramer challenges many of the widely-held assumptions about the film. He argues that 2001 was Kubrick's attempt to counter the deep pessimism of his previous film, Dr Strangelove (1964), which culminates in the explosion of a nuclear 'doomsday' device, with a more hopeful vision of humanity's future, facilitated by the intervention of mysterious extra-terrestrial artefacts This study traces the project's development from the first letter Kubrick wrote to his future collaborator Arthur C. Clarke in March 1964 all the way to the dramatic changes Kubrick made to the film shortly before its release by MGM in April 1968. Kramer shows that, despite - or, perhaps, because of - Kubrick's daring last-minute decision to turn the film itself into a mysterious artefact, 2001 was an instant success with both critics and general audiences, and has exerted enormous influence over Hollywood's output of science fiction movies ever since The book argues that 2001 invites us to enjoy and contemplate its sounds and images over and over again, and, if we are so inclined, to take away from it an important message of hope

Map: Exploring the World

£39.95

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300 stunning maps from all periods and from all around the world, exploring and revealing what maps tell us about history and ourselves Selected by an international panel of cartographers, academics, map dealers and collectors, the maps represent over 5,000 years of cartographic innovation drawing on a range of cultures and traditions Comprehensive in scope, this book features all types of map from navigation and surveys to astronomical maps, satellite and digital maps, as well as works of art inspired by cartography Unique curated sequence presents maps in thought-provoking juxtapositions for lively, stimulating reading Features some of the most influential mapmakers and institutions in history, including Gerardus Mercator, Abraham Ortelius, Phyllis Pearson, Heinrich Berann, Bill Rankin, Ordnance Survey and Google Earth Easy-to-use format, with large reproductions, authoritative texts and key caption information, it is the perfect introduction to the subject Also features a comprehensive illustrated timeline of the history of cartography, biographies of leading cartographers and a glossary of cartographic terms

Inside the Rainbow: Russian Children's Literature 1920-35: Beautiful Books, Terrible Times

£35.00

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Inside the Rainbow's 250 brilliant examples of illustration and design are complemented by some wonderful translations of poems and stories as well as texts from the victims, criminals and witnesses to the Russian revolution From the Foreword by Philip Pullman:"Inside the Rainbow reprints for the first time in English a unique compendium of Soviet picture books from the 1920 and 1930s – a highpoint in the history of children’s literature. In the dark and dangerous world of revolutionary Petrograd, a group of Russian poets and artists, among the greatest of the century, came together to create a new kind of book for children about to enter a Brave New World. These artists and writers dreamed of endless possibilities in a new world where children and grown-ups alike would be free from the bitterness of ignorance. For a time, when children's publications still escaped the scourge of state censorship, their books became a last haven for learning, poetic irony, burlesque and laughter." Dimensions: 2.8 x 19.7 x 29.8cm 320 pages Edited by Julian Rothenstein and Olga Budashevskaya

Fast Forward: The Cars of the Future, the Future of Cars

£50.00

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From models that were never presented to consumers to those produced as limited series, Fast Forward shows cars that pique people's interest and enthusiasm, are futuristic, utopian, eccentric, and always ahead of their time. Fast Forward presents cars that are just as much sculpture as automobile. Iconic winglets adorn models from the 50s. Automobiles of the 70s appear to be works of science fiction rather than modes of transportation. Classic interpretations and vintage prototypes that hinted at the future of yesteryear A timeline of concept cars is narrated through an alluring pairing of project images and stories from inside studio walls. Designers discuss the catalysts behind their creations from the first scribble upon a blank page to a 3D model to the roadways Fast Forward showcases the past, present, and, in the true spirit of concept cars, the future of driving

Archigram - The Book

£95.00

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Archigram comprised Warren Chalk (1927-88), Peter Cook (1936-), Dennis Crompton (1935-), David Greene (1937-), Ron Herron (1930-94), and Michael Webb (1937-). Together, in the 1960s and early 1970s, they envisioned the future of architecture in ways that enthralled a generation In an era defined by the space race, they developed a 'high-tech', lightweight, infra-structural approach that stretched far beyond known technologies or contemporary realities. They devised autonomous dwellings and focused on survival technology; they experimented with megastructures and modular construction systems; they explored mobility through the environment, and the use of portable living capsules: all through the medium of an incredible series of drawings and models Archigram's influence has been profound and enduring. They gave the High-tech movement its impetus; they inspired architects such as Renzo Piano and Norman Foster; and they laid the ground for the design of buildings such as the Pompidou Centre. This book catalogues Archigram's activities over fourteen years, together with commentaries by the architects and critics writing then and now. Edited and designed by Archigram member Dennis Crompton, it has been 40 years in the making