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Young V&A

Coordinates: 51°31′44″N 0°03′18″W / 51.529°N 0.055°W / 51.529; -0.055
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Young V&A
Young V&A is located in London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Young V&A
Location within London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Established1872; 152 years ago (1872)
LocationBethnal Green
London, E2
United Kingdom
Coordinates51°31′44″N 0°03′18″W / 51.529°N 0.055°W / 51.529; -0.055
Visitors386,944 (2019)[1]
DirectorGina Koutsika
Public transit accessLondon Underground Bethnal Green
London Overground Cambridge Heath
Websitewww.vam.ac.uk/info/young Edit this at Wikidata
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated27 September 1973
Reference no.1357777
Area1.5 acres (6,100 m2), 145 galleries

Young V&A, formerly the V&A Museum of Childhood, is a branch of the Victoria and Albert Museum (the "V&A"), which is the United Kingdom's national museum of applied arts. It is in Bethnal Green in the East End of London, and specialises in objects by and for children. In 2024 it was awarded the Museum of the Year prize.[2]

History[edit]

London Museum Site Act 1868
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to provide for the Acquisition of a Site for a Museum in the East of London.
Citation31 & 32 Vict. c. 8
Dates
Royal assent28 February 1868
The official opening of the Bethnal Green Museum by the Prince of Wales in 1872.

The museum was founded in 1872[3] as the Bethnal Green Museum. However, the iron structure was a prefabricated building originally constructed at Albertopolis, South Kensington in 1856-7, which was displaced by the construction of early phases of the present V&A complex. The exterior elevations of the building were designed by James William Wild[4] in red brick in a Rundbogenstil (round-arched) style very similar to that in contemporary Germany and using a cast iron structure manufactured by Charles Denoon Young and Company. The similarity to contemporary industrial stuctures led to the disparaging name of the building as the 'Brompton Boilers'[5]. This is effect is modified by mosaic panels along both long elevations illustrating agriculture, the arts and sciences; these were from designs by F.W. Moody and made by female students of the South Kensington Museum mosaic class.[6].

In Bethnal Green, the building was used to display a variety of collections at different times. In the 19th century, it contained food and animal products, and various pieces of art including the works which can now be seen at the Wallace Collection.[7] It was remodelled as an art museum following World War I, with a children's section which subsequently grew in size.

For many years some of the collection of the V&A's scultures by Auguste Rodin, including those donated by the artist, were exhibited at Bethnal Green, alongside childhood-related dispays.[8]

A white painted iron statue cast by John Bell in 1851, was displayed at Bethnal Green from 1927 to 2017.[4] It came originally from the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Eagle slayer shows a marksman shooting at an eagle which has slain the lamb that lies at his feet. This is now on long-term loan to the Coalbrookdale Museum since it was cast in the Coalbrookdale Foundry.

The museum is a Grade II* listed building.[9]

Recent History[edit]

Young V&A has the largest collection of childhood related objects in the United Kingdom. In 1974 the director of the V&A, Sir Roy Strong, defined it as a specialist museum, re-displayed as The Museum of Childhood.[4]

The mission of the museum today is stated as "To enable everyone, especially the young, to explore and enjoy the designed world, in particular objects made for and made by children." It has extensive collections of toys, childhood equipment and costumes, and stages a programme of temporary exhibitions.

The museum closed in October 2003 for extensive renovations of the roof structure, re-display of the collections, construction of learning centre at lower ground floor and the creation of a new entrance, costing £4.7 million. The entrance was designed by Caruso St John Architects 'patterned elevations of red quartzite and brown porphyries, to gives the Museum the formal front and outward aspect that it previously lacked'.[10]. It reopened in December 2006.[7]

In 2019 a further transformation of the museum began. "Over 30,000 objects which had been on display or in storage at the museum" were audited and packed.[11] After temporary storage at South Kensington, they were to join the rest of the V&A East Museum at Stratford Waterfront "in a few years time".[12]

The museum's reopened on 1 July 2023.[13]. In June 2023, museum director Tristram Hunt instructed the removal of two books on gender and sexual orientation and a poster from the charity Stonewall that read "Some people are trans, get over it!", from the museum ahead of its reopening.[14] The V&A Staff LGBTQ Working Group and trade unions PCS and Prospect opposed the removals. Union representatives appealed the decision in a meeting with Hunt, who rejected their request to have the items returned to the museum.[14][15][16][17]

Transport connections[edit]

Service Station/Stop Stop Letter Lines/Routes served Distance from
V&A
Museum of Childhood
London Buses London Buses Bethnal Green Station Disabled access Stop A 106, 254, 309, 388, D3, D6
Stop B 8, 309, D6
Stop D 8, 388, D3
Old Ford Road Disabled access Stop G 106, 254, 388, D6
London Underground London Underground Bethnal Green Central line
London Overground London Overground Cambridge Heath London Overground 400 metres walk[18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Citations

  1. ^ "ALVA – Association of Leading Visitor Attractions". www.alva.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  2. ^ Young V&A named Art Fund's 2024 Museum of the Year. Museums + Heritage. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  3. ^ "V&A Reopens Its Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green | Culture24". Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Weinreb et al. 2008, p. 65.
  5. ^ https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1357777?section=official-list-entry
  6. ^ https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1357777?section=official-list-entry
  7. ^ a b "Much more than a doll's house". The Guardian. 10 December 2006. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  8. ^ https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-rodin-gift-to-the-va
  9. ^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1357777)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  10. ^ https://carusostjohn.com/projects/victoria-and-albert-museum-childhood/#more
  11. ^ Young V&A: transforming the building Archived 18 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine, vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  12. ^ Moving House: Decant of the Museum of Childhood Stores Archived 22 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine, vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  13. ^ Rufo, Yasmin (26 June 2023). "Young V&A museum opening after £13m revamp". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  14. ^ a b "EXCLUSIVE: Young V&A removes trans poster and LGBTQ+ books". ArtsProfessional. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  15. ^ Stephens, Max (6 July 2023). "Young V&A museum removes 'age inappropriate' LGBT books". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Young V&A criticised for removing trans poster". 7 July 2023. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Author 'beyond angry' as London children's museum removes trans and queer books". 4 July 2023. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  18. ^ Google Maps Archived 22 December 2023 at the Wayback Machine Walking directions to V&A Museum of Childhood from Cambridge Heath (London) railway station

Sources

External links[edit]

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