Love letters to the buildings
About the exhibition
The exhibition was led by Sal Pittman, LCF Archives and LCF Cultural Programme. Sal Pittman is a Visual Artist, Curator, Designer and Tutor at LCF, working across film, photography, performance and installation. Sal is the co-founder of Klanghaus, an award-winning installation and theatre umbrella which creates musical and artistic interventions in buildings which uses evaporating cinematic narratives, analogue and digital light and sound, projected film, site specific installation set pieces and promenade performance.
The exhibition included site-specific research and illustrations from students that reflected the history of the buildings, and sound design collaboration with Jonathon Baker (Klanghaus). It recycled the materials and machines from the buildings into beautiful artworks, curated and showcased treasures from the College archives and produced an oral history of the buildings to celebrate the memories they hold. Along with the archived materials, cherished moments served as the focal point of a series of tours that took place throughout June 2023.
John Princes Street, W1G 0BJ
The building was formerly known as Barrett Street Technical College and it opened as London College of Fashion in 1963. It was designed by the London County Council architectural group responsible for iconic buildings such as Southbank Centre, London College of Communication (formerly London College of Printing) and Thamesmead Estate.
- The tour was led by artist-curator Sal Pittman, exhibition co-producer and co-curator Dr Leila Nassereldein, and MA student and curatorial researcher, Inaya Mussa.
- The exhibition had archival photos from the building's opening year, embroidery samples by former students, and multi-colour light interventions on the windows.
Love Letters to the Buildings
John Princes Street
Love Letters to the Buildings
Lime Grove
Lime Grove, W12 8EA
The building was originally built for the Hammersmith College of Art. One of its oldest features is the mulberry tree in the courtyard which is believed to have been planted as a 10-year-old sapling in 1904, the year the building opened.
- The tour was led by was led by artist-curator Sal Pittman and MA student and curatorial researcher, Anastasia Kyriakaki.
- The exhibition featured a scaled-up replica toile which hung down the staircase. It was based on a toile in the LCF archives, made by Joy Lewis, a student in the 1950's
Golden Lane, EC1Y 0UU
The building was originally the Cordwainers College, a specialist school for leather-working, shoemaking and saddlery, founded in 1887. In August 2000, Cordwainers College merged with LCF. Prior to that, it was a school with a playground on the roof where the children could play away from the smog that engulfed London.
- The tour was led by artist-curator Sal Pittman and MA student and curatorial researcher, Sandra Titus.
- Attendees were able to listen to audio of the building's inspiration and legacy while climbing the stairwell.
Mare Street, E8 3RE
Formerly a school for girls founded by Lady Eleanor Holles in 1710, it later became a part of the Cordwainers College and then LCF.
- The tour at Mare Street was led by artist-curator, Sal Pittman, and exhibition co-producer and co-curator, Mirren Kessling.
- Attendees could discover the legacy of teaching with testimonials recounting courses such as saddlery, tailoring, and design.
Curtain Road, EC2 3AA
The building is named after the Curtain Theatre which opened in 1577. The theatre was home to some of Shakespeare's earliest plays and arguably the birthplace of modern theatre.
- The tour at Curtain Road was led by artist-curator Sal Pittman, exhibition co-producer and co-curator Dr Leila Nassereldein and MA student and curatorial researcher, Alice Butler McDermott.
- The exhibition included giant archival images of former students. There were also testimonies featuring the changes in East London over the years and its gentrification in the past few decades.
Stories
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London College of Fashion, Oxford Circus: main entrance, John Princes Street, c.1963.
Love Letters: a final look at the rich history of our buildings
‘Love Letters to the Buildings’ delves into the rich history of our cherished buildings. Through extensive research in the LCF Archives and Library, as well as the exploration of special collections, films, and oral testimonies, we embark on a journey to understand the profound significance of these spaces.
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Love Letters to the Buildings - an illustration of Lime Grove's staircase.
Love Letters to the Buildings – exhibition now open across LCF sites
From artist and curator Sal Pittman, an exhibition and series of tours celebrating the history of LCF and bids farewell to some of the current buildings ahead of our move to East Bank.