life and work
Gordon Russell was a design pioneer – a furniture designer, maker, calligrapher, entrepreneur, educator, and champion of accessible, well crafted design. Schooled in the Arts and Crafts tradition of the Cotswolds he believed that good design has a lasting impact on people’s lives.
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Plane and Saw
The Museum shop features a wonderful collection of crafts, gifts and homeware, along with a well stocked selection of arts and crafts and design related books ...read more
The Museum shop features a wonderful collection of crafts, gifts and homeware, along with a well stocked selection of arts and crafts and design related books ...read more
Gallery
Browse the gallery of Gordon Russell artefacts, many of which are in the museum
Gallery
Browse the gallery of Gordon Russell artefacts, many of which are in the museum
volunteer
If you have a few spare hours each week, then why not join us by volunteering. We are looking for help in the shop, the archives and many more exciting roles.
If you have a few spare hours each week, then why not join us by volunteering. We are looking for help in the shop, the archives and many more exciting roles.
find out how
become a friend
Become a Friend of the GRDM and receive some great benefits such as free access to the museum; access to new shows and talks; a programme of excursions to interesting and related venues and the once a year summer party
Become a Friend of the GRDM and receive some great benefits such as free access to the museum; access to new shows and talks; a programme of excursions to interesting and related venues and the once a year summer party
find out howNEWS & EVENTS
Easter opening hours
Posted on: 18th April 2019Join us this Easter – our opening hours are:
Good Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday: 11am – 5pm
Easter Sunday: 11am-5pm
Easter Monday: 11am-5pm
Join us this Easter – our opening hours are:
Good Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday: 11am – 5pm
Easter Sunday: 11am-5pm
Easter Monday: 11am-5pm
Join us this Easter – our opening hours are:
Good Friday: 11am-5pm
Saturday: 11am – 5pm
Easter Sunday: 11am-5pm
Easter Monday: 11am-5pm
NEWS & EVENTS
Talk: “Product or Service” by Jeremy Broun and Andrew Lawton on Friday 21st June
Posted on: 7th April 2019Jeremy Broun and Andrew Lawton are furniture makers based in Bath and the Peak District respectively and they frequently give joint talks.
Jeremy is the author of “The Encyclopaedia of Woodworking Techniques” which was updated in 2018. He has produced a short film on the life and work of Sir Gordon Russell entitled, “A gem of British Furniture history.” He is currently a judge for the Alan Peters Award for Excellence which encourages and promotes young talent within the bespoke furniture industry.
Andrew, who opened his own workshop in 1980, is rooted in the ideals of the Arts and Crafts
Jeremy Broun and Andrew Lawton are furniture makers based in Bath and the Peak District respectively and they frequently give joint talks.
Jeremy is the author of “The Encyclopaedia of Woodworking Techniques” which was updated in 2018. He has produced a short film on the life and work of Sir Gordon Russell entitled, “A gem of British Furniture
Jeremy Broun and Andrew Lawton are furniture makers based in Bath and the Peak District respectively and they frequently give joint talks.
FIND OUT MORE
NEWS & EVENTS
Talk on Friday 5 April 2019: ‘Living in all the tenses’ – design and craft in the work of Ernest Gimson by Mary Greensted
Posted on: 6th March 2019Ernest Gimson – architect, designer of furniture and metalwork, chairmaker, plasterworker, and two-dimensional designer – was one of the leading figures of the Arts and Crafts movement. His work was rooted in English traditions and has been a continuing source of inspiration for designers and makers up to the present day. This talk will look at the development of Gimson’s work and provide an introduction into the range of his work and his impact on 20th- and 21st-century furniture design.
Mary Greensted was a curator at Cheltenham and is now a trustee at Court Barn. She has written widely on the Arts and Crafts Movement. She has co-authored Ernest Gimson: Arts and Crafts Designer and Architect which will be published by Yale University Press in October 2019.
Photo credit: New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester
The talk will take place at 6pm in the Edi
Ernest Gimson – architect, designer of furniture and metalwork, chairmaker, plasterworker, and two-dimensional designer – was one of the leading figures of the Arts and Crafts movement. His work was rooted in English traditions and has been a continuing source of inspiration for designers and makers up to the present day. This talk will look at the development of Gimson’s work and provide an introduction into the range of his work and his impact on 20th- and 21st-century furniture design.
Mary Greensted was a curator at Cheltenham and is now a trustee at Court Barn. She has written wide
Ernest Gimson – architect, designer of furniture and metalwork, chairmaker, plasterworker, and two-dimensional designer – was one of the leading figures of the Arts and Crafts movement. His work was
NEWS & EVENTS
Spring and Summer opening hours
Posted on: 1st March 2019We are now open from 11am – 5pm Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays.
We are now open from 11am – 5pm Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays.
We are now open from 11am – 5pm Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays.
NEWS & EVENTS
The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts
Posted on: 12th January 2019The BBC have brought back to life a late 1800s Victorian arts and crafts commune in the Welsh hills in this series currently showing on BBC2. We follow a group of 21st-century crafters as they experience the highs and lows of living and working together as a creative commune. Over their month-long stay they are set to renovate four of the key rooms in the house. The projects have been set by Arts & Crafts expert Patch Rogers and internationally renowned potter Keith Brymer Jones
See BBC iPlayer at https://bbc.in/2M4I84C to see the programme information and episodes.
The BBC have brought back to life a late 1800s Victorian arts and crafts commune in the Welsh hills in this series currently showing on BBC2. We follow a group of 21st-century crafters as they experience the highs and lows of living and working together as a creative commune. Over their month-long stay they are set to renovate four of the key rooms in the house. The projects have been set by Arts & Crafts expert Patch Rogers and internationally renowned potter Keith Brymer Jones
See BBC iPlayer at https://bbc.in/2M4I84C to see the programme inf
The BBC have brought back to life a late 1800s Victorian arts and crafts commune in the Welsh hills in this series currently showing on BBC2. We follow a group of 21st-century crafters as they exper
NEWS & EVENTS
Talk on 22/02/2019: The Arts and Crafts in the Digital Age by Luke Hughes
Posted on: 12th January 2019Since he began to design and make furniture in Covent Garden in 1981, Luke Hughes has built up a team of specialists who design, engineer & deliver exceptional furniture for notable buildings. These are predominantly buildings of learning, worship, work and leisure. Clients include Harvard and Yale universities, more than 80% of Oxford and Cambridge Colleges, 24 major cathedrals, 5 royal palaces, and 2 Supreme Courts.
Much of the production has, for over 30 years, been carried out in the Broadway area, by former employees of Gordon Russell Ltd, some of whom will be in the audience. Recently, Dick Russell’s iconic Coventry chair design was re-engineered, licensed and put back into production; 1600 were made for the chapel at Valparaiso, Indiana.
His talk will look at the continuing relevance, in a digital age, of the Arts and Crafts principles that informed the work of the Cot
Since he began to design and make furniture in Covent Garden in 1981, Luke Hughes has built up a team of specialists who design, engineer & deliver exceptional furniture for notable buildings. These are predominantly buildings of learning, worship, work and leisure. Clients include Harvard and Yale universities, more than 80% of Oxford and Cambridge Colleges, 24 major cathedrals, 5 royal palaces, and 2 Supreme Courts.
Much of the production has, for over 30 years, been carried out in the Broadway area, by former employees of Gordon Russell Ltd, some of whom will be in the audience. Rece
Since he began to design and make furniture in Covent Garden in 1981, Luke Hughes has built up a team of specialists who design, engineer & deliver exceptional furniture for notable buildings. The
NEWS & EVENTS
Seasonal opening hours
Posted on: 18th December 2018PLEASE NOTE: the museum is currently closed for winter and will re-open on 1st February 2019.
Why not sign up for our mailing list to be the first to hear about forthcoming events and exhibitions, as well as exclusive offers for our shop, Plane and Saw.
2019 OPENING HOURS
AUTUMN & WINTER (February, November and December): Tuesday to Sunday 11am – 4pm
SPRING & SUMMER (March to October): Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 11am – 5pm
Closed throughout January, except for group visits by prior arrangement. Please contact us for more information.
PLEASE NOTE: the museum is currently closed for winter and will re-open on 1st February 2019.
Why not sign up for our mailing list to be the first to hear about forthcoming events and exhibitions, as well as exclusive offers for our shop, Plane and Saw.
2019 OPENING HOURS
AUTUMN & WINTER (February, November and December): Tuesday to Sunday 11am – 4pm
SPRING & SUMMER (March to October): Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays 11a
PLEASE NOTE: the museum is currently closed for winter and will re-open on 1st February 2019.
Why not FIND OUT MORE
NEWS & EVENTS
Handcrafting Ladder Back Chairs
Posted on: 10th November 2018For over half a century master craftsman Lawrence Neal has been handcrafting ladder back chairs. From the ash woodlands and rush filled rivers of rural Warwickshire to the Art Workers’ Guild meeting hall this video shows the historic lineage of ladder back chair and explore Neal’s making process. He left school at the age of 15 to be apprenticed to his father, the beginning of 50 years of chair making. Comprehensive instructions have never been recorded, but instead passed on between generations of masters and apprentices. Most of the chairs are based on designs by Ernest Gimson. In 2017 Neal received funding to take on two apprentices but, in order for these not to be the last makers, decisions to be made to recognise the value and heritage of traditional crafts, and to support makers to continue to produc
For over half a century master craftsman Lawrence Neal has been handcrafting ladder back chairs. From the ash woodlands and rush filled rivers of rural Warwickshire to the Art Workers’ Guild meeting hall this video shows the historic lineage of ladder back chair and explore Neal’s making process. He left school at the age of 15 to be apprenticed to his father, the beginning of 50 years of chair making. Comprehensive instructions have never been recorded, but instead passed on between generations of masters and appr
For over half a century master craftsman Lawrence Neal has been handcrafting ladder back chairs. From the ash woodlands and rush filled rivers of rural Warwickshire to t
NEWS & EVENTS
Coventry Chairs from Tower of London
Posted on: 17th October 2018When working on a renovation project and installing bespoke furniture for the historic Chapel of St. John in the Tower of London Luke Hughes’ company refurbished the Coventry Chairs which had previously occupied this space and these now sit in the public exhibition spaces of the Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Dick Russell, brother of Sir Gordon Russell, had been commissioned in 1962 by Sir Basil Spence to produce a suitable design for use in Coventry Cathedral. Russell’s design was considered a great accomplishment and thousands were made by the Gordon Russell company for churches the world over. Practical and ha
When working on a renovation project and installing bespoke furniture for the historic Chapel of St. John in the Tower of London Luke Hughes’ company refurbished the Coventry Chairs which had previously occupied this space and these now sit in the public exhibition spaces of the Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Dick Russell, b
When working on a renovation project and installing bespoke furniture for the historic Chapel of St. John in the Tower of London L
NEWS & EVENTS
Talk: History of Leather and the National Leather Collection Wednesday 21st November 2018
Posted on: 9th September 2018The use of leather is so ubiquitous that it is often taken for granted. In his talk to GRDM Friends Philip Warner MA, Curator of the National Leather Collection will consider the worldwide story of leather spanning 4,500 years. From early Theban garments, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Samuel Pepys wallet and the belts used to drive the industrial revolution, right through to the work of contemporary designers and craftspeople today. Over 70 years ago John Waterer RDI (a friend of Gordon Russell) co-founded the Museum of Leathercraft to collect, curate and share the world story of this remarkable material.
Ticket price £10 – £5 for GRDM Friends – free for GRDM museum volunteers.
The use of leather is so ubiquitous that it is often taken for granted. In his talk to GRDM Friends Philip Warner MA, Curator of the National Leather Collection will consider the worldwide story of leather spanning 4,500 years. From early Theban garments, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Samuel Pepys wallet and the belts used to drive the industrial revolution, right through to the work of contemporary designers and craftspeople today. Over 70 years ago John Waterer RDI (a friend of Gordon Russell) co-founded the Museum of Leathercraft to collect, curate and share the world story of this remarkable
The use of leather is so ubiquitous that it is often taken for granted. In his talk to GRDM Friends Philip Warner MA, Curator of the National Leather Collection will consider the worldwide story of
