BLYTHE HOUSE VISIT
We had an outing to Blythe House this week, the former Post Office Savings Bank. This vast and imposing building is now the repository for the archives of the Science Museum, the V&A, and the British Museum. We were guided on our visit by staff from the Science & Society Picture Library from the Science Museum Group and spent the majority of our time looking at objects in the Wellcome Collection. From pharmacy bottles and apothecary jars, painted masks, drawers of Roman votive penises to medical instruments in prolific quantity, we opened cupboards and drawers and were in awe at the treasures we saw. Wonderful posters of cycling from the 1930s and Soviet space programme provided typographic inspiration.
The building itself was a treat to see and will be recognized by anyone who saw the film Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011) and as the setting for our own cover for Ian McEwan’s Sweet Tooth.
We are very grateful to the staff of the Science Museum and Blythe House for their time and great kindness in showing us so much in one morning. It was a truly inspiring visit.
