On the 18th October this year (2014) we are organising a walk around the blue plaques of Cambridge as part of the Art Language Location exhibition. Not only will we be visiting the 19 plaques on our route but we will also be placing 50 of our own. These will include the names of ‘everyday’ people who have lived in or visited Cambridge at some point in their lives. You do not need to be an Olympic rower or be named after a significant scientific discovery to get involved. Just send your (or someone you know) NAME, TITLE (engineer, hairy biker, commuter) and a strapline or quote to me Alban Low at albanlow@hotmail.com
Art Language Location
ALL is an art exhibition that will take place in October 2014 in a variety of venues across Cambridge. The exhibition will feature work from engaging and innovative artists from Cambridge and across the UK and beyond who use text in their work.
Works will be located in a mixture of both established text-based spaces (e.g. bookshop, library, gallery) and in alternative urban sites, providing an extended, context-driven environment in which works can create a dialogue between language and location.
http://artlanguagelocation.wordpress.com/
Ella Penn and Blue Plaque
Magnetic Art
We have a history of working in this way with magnets and have exhibited over 4000 artworks on the streets of the UK and around the world. Check out our history on the CollectConnect website. Your blue plaque will be printed onto a 7cm diameter magnet and placed along our route as we walk past Cambridge’s more established plaques. If you would like a copy of your magnetic blue plaque then we’ll send you one for FREE. Last year we created a similar exhibition as we walked around Tufnell Park and Hampstead on our Patternotion walk. Check out the film we made HERE.
Map
We will be printing a map of our route that has both Cambridge’s established blue plaques and those of our local heroes on it. The map will have an ISBN and be published by 200 year old publishing house Sampson Low Ltd. A copy of this map will be stored by the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford, Cambridge University Library, The National Library of Scotland, The Library of Trinity College Dublin, The National Library of Wales and The British Library.
GET INVOLVED
We need the people of Cambridge to get involved and have their lives recognised for achievements big and small. As you can see from some of the examples, our ‘heroes’ have their tongues firmly in their cheeks. So think humorous, aspirational, cheeky and local. All we need is….
a NAME – Yours, friend or family
a TITLE – mother, artist, resident of a road, punter, something that sums you up.
a QUOTE or strapline – what you think you should be remembered for!
send these details to me Alban Low at albanlow@hotmail.com and I’ll be in touch.
The Cambridge Blue Plaque Route
Below are the plaques we are hoping to visit on the 18th October.
1.Basque refugees – 1 Station Road
2.Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852 to 1924) Composer – 10 Harvey Road
3.Eglantyne Jebb (1876 to 1928) Founder of the Save the Children charity – 82 Regents Street
4.Thomas Hobson (1544 to 1630) Carrier and stable keeper – Hobson House, 44 St Andrew’s St
5.Sir Jack Hobbs (1882 to 1963) Cricketer – Hobb’s Pavilion, Parker’s Piece
6.Charles Humfrey (1772 to 1848) Architect, engineer, property developer and banker- Corner of Maid’s Causeway and Fair Street.
7.David Marshall (1873 to 1942) University caterer, sportsman and early pioneer of motoring and flying. Founder of Marshall of Cambridge – 17-22 Jesus Lane
8.Ann Docwra (circa 1624 to 1710) Quaker who donated the Friends’ Meeting House in 1700 – Corner of Jesus Lane and Park Street.
9.Cambridge Mayoralty ‘ 800th anniversary – The Guildhall, Peas Hill?
10.John Maynard Keynes (1883 to 1946) Economist, philosopher, businessman, civil servant and diplomat – Art’s Theatre, Peas Hill
11.John Mortlock (1755 to 1816) Draper, banker, MP, recorder and thirteen times Mayor – 15 Bene’t Street.
12.The Discovery of DNA – The Eagles Public House, 8 Bene’t Street.
13.Birthplace of the Reformation – White Horse Inn, King’s College, King’s Parade.
14.Dr Stephen Perse (1548 to 1645) Physician, financier, philanthropist and founder of the Perse School – Whipple Museum of Science, Free School Lane.
15.Gwen Raverat (1885 to 1957) Artist, illustrator, wood engraver and author – Darwin College, Silver Street.
16.Sir Frank Whittle (1907 to 1996) Pilot, engineer and inventor of the turbojet engine – Engineering Faculty Gates, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street.
17.William Wilkins (1778 to 1839) Architect – Chemistry Laboratory, Lensfield Road.
18.Henry Fawcett (1833 to 1884) Liberal MP and Postmaster General – 18 Brookside, Trumpington Road.
19.John Stevens Henslow (1796 to 1861) Professor, churchman, botanist and geologist, founder of the Cambridge Botanic Gardens – Botanic Gardens, Bateman Street.
alban low 