In 2014 Historic Royal Palaces commissioned a major installation commemorating the execution of spies in the First and Second World War at the Tower of London. The publicly accessible  tactile installation comprises three ‘desks’ and a rifle rack relating the short journey from arrest and evidence through to sentencing and execution. The bronzes are located on the walkway between the Martin and Constable towers and are positioned above the rifle range where the executions took place. 

Desk 1 – images of the spies using a new ‘artcast’ technique

Desk 2 – evidence: objects and documents

Desk 3 – sentencing: newspaper headline, last letter, map and execution order

Rifle rack – three rifles

The installation opened to the public in November 2014.

Australia Exhibition at the British Museum
Children’s Navigation Hoops

This commission from the British Museum was to make thirty children’s navigation hoops to accompany the family trail in the Australia Exhibition that opened in May 2015.

Each hoop comprised six tactile objects attached by separate cords in a wide range of materials including carved wood, acrylic, cast resin and painted seed gourd. The aim was to make each object engaging and interesting to touch and to enable children and families to engage with the exhibition as a ‘treasure hunt’.

A previous project for the British Museum's Viking Exhibition can be found here.

Commissioned by the Houses of Parliament in 2013, twenty sets of etched zinc tactile illustration panels will be used by Parliament’s Education Services for outreach to schools. The aim is to encourage discovery of the day-to-day working of Parliament through group investigation, idea sharing and role play.

A pair of models- of a 'strato' and 'shield' volcano respectively - were designed for the Natural History Museum, London. They are on display in the new Volcanoes and Earthquakes gallery there, after its opening in January 2014.

The pieces are cast in resin toned with grey pigment to match the Corian display surfaces in the gallery. The cutaway segment on each volcano shows the form and flow of magma within.

The Kew Palace model is constructed in beech, beech veneer and acrylic, to a scale of 1:25. The project was commissioned in 2005 by Historic Royal Palaces to interpret the architecture of the building over the three accessible floors. The model informs both visually impaired and sighted visitors about the scale, style and architectural detail of the Palace as well as aiding way-finding to exterior access points.

Constructed in three sections the model can be easily transported to outreach projects. Accompanying the model is a tactile way-finding map located at the entrance to each floor. Made of beech with acrylic Braille and large-print labels the raised detail maps provide orientation and information about rooms.

Kew Palace opened to the public in April 2006 and was a shortlisted finalist for the Gulbenkian Prize in 2007.

This composite piece is a tactile model of Staircase House in Stockport. It recreates 500 years of historical development of this local heritage landmark, from its origins as a medieval house to the present day.

The building detail is created using raised detail marquetry, the art of inlaying wood veneer into a frame to create tonal images. The traditional inlay technique has been reversed for this project by raising the profile of the veneer to give the piece a beautiful, textured surface detail.

The model sections showing the additions and changes to the house are positioned chronologically clockwise from the left on the oak base plinth. The house is assembled In the centre of the oak base by removing numbered sections of oak meadow and replacing them with the relevant building piece. A ‘how to use’ booklet in large print and Braille accompanies the installation to assist the assembly and to give some detail of the periods of change.

Wellcome Collection – Jugum Ring

The Wellcome Collection commissioned the production of a replica Jugum Ring (a Victorian genital ring) as part of a handling collection to accompany the Institute of Sexology exhibition that ran from November 2014 to September 2015.

The Jugum Ring replica was made from nickel plated steel and fabricated to the same dimensions as the original on display in the gallery.

Images by kind permission of Wellcome Trust

A secure, versatile storage space, the mobile activity module is a fully customisable mobile educational resource and/or gallery exhibit.

At 1.2 metres tall the module is designed to be easily accessible to a wide range of visitors, particularly the visually impaired, wheelchair users and children. If placed in a Gallery the height of the module does not adversely affect the sightline of the general visitor.

180° hinges and lockable wheels enable the module to be opened and fixed in a variety of stable positions and moved easily from one location to another. 75cm wide when fully closed, the module fits through most standard door frames.

When closed, the module is secure and lockable allowing no unauthorised access to the object collection. Valuable items need not be removed to alternative safe storage when the module is not in use.

If you are interested in an Activity Module for your company or organisation, contact us here.

The mobile activity module shown here was custom fitted for the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The module is constructed in both solid beech and beech veneer with solid brass fittings.

From left to right the Laing Art Gallery module is fitted with:·

- A glazed poster frame located above a leaflet holder section.

- A glazed lockable cabinet located above three drawers. 

- An open display section located above three small cupboards.

- A peephole into the display section illuminated by LED spotlight and located above two handling portholes.

- Three open display shelves. 

- A dressing up wardrobe and mirrored panel

More information about Mobile Activity Modules for your organisation or business can be found here.

Designed for adult visitors to the Churchill Museum in London, this variant form of the Mobile Activity Module is made from beech and beech veneer and finished in grey. It is a portable exhibit space for educational and display use.

A model of Wootton Wawen viaduct showing the original landscape. It can disassembled as an education tool to show the changes that have been made to the landscape during its construction. It is made from various plastics including acrylic.

A tactile wayfinding plan of the Hatton series of Locks in Hatton Warwickshire. It is cast in resin with a bronze finish and acrylic large print and Braille labelling.