The Heath Robinson Museum is a museum in

Pinner, London Pinner is a London suburb in the London borough of Harrow, Greater London, England, northwest of Charing Cross, close to the border with Hillingdon, historically in the county of Middlesex. The population was 31,130 in 2011. Originally a ...

, dedicated to showcasing the work of the world-renowned artist, illustrator, humorist and social commentator

William Heath Robinson William Heath Robinson (31 May 1872 – 13 September 1944) was an English cartoonist, illustrator and artist, best known for drawings of whimsically elaborate machines to achieve simple objectives. In the UK, the term "Heath Robinson contr ...

(1872–1944). The museum was declared officially open by local author and children's writer

Michael Rosen Michael Wayne Rosen (born 7 May 1946) is a British children's author, poet, presenter, political columnist, broadcaster and activist who has written 140 books. He served as Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009. Early life Michael Wayne Ro ...

on 15 October 2016 at a ceremony attended by hundreds of people in

Pinner Pinner is a London suburb in the London borough of Harrow, Greater London, England, northwest of Charing Cross, close to the border with Hillingdon, historically in the county of Middlesex. The population was 31,130 in 2011. Originally a med ...

Memorial Park. It was the first London museum in over 40 years to be purpose-built in

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...

Foundation

Heath Robinson Museum permanent exhibition with Geoffrey Beare

The William Heath Robinson Trust ran a campaign to raise funds for the museum, which started in October 2013. The museum passed the first round of

Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...

ing in March 2012, which led to its receiving a £1.1 million grant in December 2013. Developed and created with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund of £1.3m and substantial donations from local patrons, residents and businesses, the new museum features two galleries, a permanent display covering the career of W. Heath Robinson and his illustrations and artworks, as well as a Special Exhibition gallery that hosts a programme of special themed exhibitions that change every three months. Pinner Memorial Park

, north London, is close to Pinner Underground station on the

Metropolitan line The Metropolitan line, colloquially known as the Met, is a London Underground line between in the City of London and and in Buckinghamshire, with branches to in Hertfordshire and in Hillingdon. Printed in magenta on the tube map, the line i ...

. The West House and Heath Robinson Museum Trust is a registered charity which restored West House in Pinner Memorial Park for community use. The Trust is a partnership between local Pinner people and the William Heath Robinson Trust, custodians of the artist’s work. When Heath Robinson’s daughter Joan died, her husband wanted her collection of her father’s work to be kept in public ownership. As a result the William Heath Robinson Trust was formed in 1992. The original collection included about 500 pieces of original art work together with an archive of letters, association copies and special editions of the books that he illustrated, proof prints, advertising booklets and ephemera. The

National Heritage Memorial Fund The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) was set up in 1980 to save the most outstanding parts of the British national heritage, in memory of those who have given their lives for the UK. It replaced the National Land Fund which had fulfilled the ...

and the Art Fund grant-aided the William Heath Robinson Trust in 2015 to purchase some 400 additional important works for the Museum, bringing the collection to nearly 1,000. It is the only substantial collection of the artist’s work in public ownership.

References

{{Reflist, 40em, refs= {{cite news , url=https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2016/08/20/a-new-museum-for-london-the-heath-robinson-museum-opens-soon/ , title=A new museum for London – the Heath Robinson Museum opens soon , work=Ian Visits , date=20 August 2016 {{cite news , url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/heath-robinson-deserves-a-museum , title=Heath Robinson: the unsung hero of British eccentricity and innovation , publisher=Wired.com , first=Olivia , last=Solon , date=29 July 2013 {{cite web , url=https://www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org/ , title=Heath Robinson Museum , accessdate=22 August 2016 {{cite web , url=http://heathrobinson.org/museum/ , title=The William Heath Robinson Trust - The Heath Robinson Museum , date=8 August 2016

External links

Heath Robinson Museum
– official website Art museums and galleries in London Museums in the London Borough of Harrow Biographical museums in London