When Henry Gordon Selfridge built his huge department store in the West End, shopping for Londoners would never be the same. The first to understand that shopping could be a fun, seductive and multi-sensorial experience, the U.S.-born businessman was a true pioneer. The majestic Edwardian building on Oxford perfectly reflected the personality of its founder, whose only modest aspect was his height. When television was yet to exist and cinema was in its infancy, Selfridge entertained his clients better than an expo, almost like a ballroom, with a particular eye towards women. His stores, it was often said, were the “third tourist attraction of the capital” after Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. The attention given to the window displays, “the bargain corner” and the habit of placing perfumes and cosmetics just within the entrance are just a few of the innovations credited to him. The secret was to offer a dream to every customer and, above all, never stop. In 1938, for instance, elevators were installed on Oxford Street that, in themselves only, warranted a visit to the store - the clients could shuttle up and down to various departments in bronze and cast iron boxes designed by the famed Edgar William Brandt. Today, it is possible to admire these at the Museum of London, with decorations inspired by the signs of the Zodiac, as well as exotic Japanese-inspired Swans.
An exhibition to tell the story of Pictorialism: the first international movement of artistic photography, which developed throughout the world from 1880 to 1960.
In London, at the unusual setting of the Royal Albert Hall, over 40 of Japan's finest maku-uchi rikishi (wrestlers) will compete, bringing with them the legacy of 1.500 years of Sumo.
Emily Kame Kngwarreye is one of the world's leading painters to emerge in the late 20th century, her lived experience and spiritual engagement with her homeland translated into vibrant batiks and later monumental canvas paintings.
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