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From Coalbrookdale to Crystal Palace

Monday 13th October 2025 at 10:00–12:00

Art, Design and the Industrial Revolution: a lecture by Jo Walton

This talk introduces us to inventors, industrialists and designers whose products married design and modernity, becoming famous across Europe. In paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries, we see how new techniques influenced design and we consider how mass production and the changing landscape affected life for all. We also look at Crystal Palace and the Great Exhibition, including its enduring legacy for art, design and architecture.
Jo has combined teaching and lecturing with a career in art bookselling and has been a volunteer guide at both Tate Britain and Tate Modern, and is now a freelance lecturer for The Arts Society, The National Gallery, The Art Fund, and local art societies.

Image credit Tk420.

The Steyning Centre
The Steyning Centre, Fletchers Croft, Steyning
BN44 3XZ