Plunging into History: Stories from Ironmonger Row Baths and beyond
Anyone who's walked past Ironmonger Row Baths in the last few days will notice that the scaffolding outside of the building has been taken down. Celeste, who works at Sherry, sent us this great photo of the covering being removed today (24 Feb 2012). Their offices are opposite the building.
It is wonderful to see the familiar red brick exterior once again and we are now very excited about the reopening later this year and can't wait to see inside the baths and launch Plunging into History. We're sure that the many loyal users of the baths will also be really looking forward to it.
Friday 17th June, 4.30 pm at The Old Fire Station, 84 Mayton Street, N7
Malcolm Shifrin is an authority on the fascinating history of the Victorian Turkish bath and author of the world’s only website on the subject (www.victorianturkishbath.org). His copiously illustrated talk will begin with a general history of the Victorian Turkish bath and then move on to some specifics of Ironmonger Row Baths, one of the very few remaining in London.
Malcolm’s journey of Turkish bath discovery began in 1990, when he happened to notice the initials CB on a stained glass door panel in a health club, which had once been a Turkish bath. This was his introduction to the strange world of Charles Bartholomew who (falsely) claimed to have built the first modern Turkish bath in England. Finding that no one else had made a study of the Victorian Turkish bath, he determined that this was how he would spend his retirement. Join us on 17th June to learn more!
Kit Poulson was an artist in residence at Islington Town Hall during last year's Islington Exhibits. He produced a short A-Z film of Islington History and curiosity much of which relates to the South of the borough around Ironmonger Row Baths. It's fascinating stuff!
Visit the Islington Exhibits website to watch the film and read the accompanying notes.
Join the Sock Mob for a tour of some favourite haunts and unseen hideaways through the eyes of the London's homeless people. Plunging into History volunteers went on the Shoreditch tour and gleaned insights about the area that no history book could have provided.
Check out their website here.
Learn more about the project, see some of our archive of photos and find out how you can get involved!
For more information about First Fridays and First Saturdays see the Rowan Arts website.
Read all about it here.
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