A vintage furniture show held an exhibition in a Hackney school last Sunday, with an intriguing James Bond twist.
Midcentury East, the East London incarnation of the celebrated Midcentury Modern design show, holds regular exhibitions at Haggerston School. Some may not know, however, that the school was designed by a Hungarian-born architect named Erno Goldfinger – who inspired the James Bond villain of the same name.
The school, described as containing “some of Goldfinger’s boldest interiors to date,” displayed a range of colourful and elegant furniture in every corner, as part of the show.
Framed maps and art prints lined the walls; bookshelves bearing ornaments and decorative bowls filled the corridors; and the gymnasium hosted a vast, open-plan array of everything from sofas to rotary phones. On the far side was a quirky display by Retro Bazaar, whose boxes of £2 limited-edition records were proof that you can shop for vintage goods on a budget.
“We wanted to do something a bit different,” said proprietor Rebecca Cashen. When asked about exhibiting in Goldfinger’s school, Rebecca replied that it didn’t feel unusual; it was “nice to be in a twentieth century designed area.”
To cap off the 007 theme, it transpired that another exhibitor, Metro Retro, had hired out props to two Bond films in the past.
“We had props in Quantum of Solace and Skyfall,” said Saxon Durrant, director of Metro Retro, “but the scene in Quantum of Solace was cut!” Metro Retro is playing a larger part in the upcoming Paddington Bear film, having provided one of Paddington’s iconic suitcases.
Metro Retro has exhibited at each Midcentury Modern show, and is more than happy to do so. “I really like the crowd; they’ve got a loyal following,” Saxon said. “It’s a nice day out of the norm where I can meet the customers, which I don’t usually get to do.”
