Tate Archive is 50: A Journey through the World’s Largest Archive of British Art explores artworks and artefacts ranging from 1600 to the present day, with material selected for each year from 1900-1999 to fully immerse visitors into the last century of UK art.
Sketchbooks and preparatory drawings sit alongside unpublished photographs and letters in a show curated by Tate archivist Adrian Glew and the gallery group’s archive team – Andrey Lazarev, Clare Sexton, Darragh O’Donoghue, Derek Rice, Federica Berretta, Nastasia Alberti, Peter Eaves and Victoria Jenkins.
What to look out for
The diverse show plays host to a plethora of items rarely seen before, including:
- Derek Jarman’s handcrafted sketchbook A blueprint for Bliss (1989)
- Sketchbook 1 (1982-83) by Donald Rodney
- Materials from The Thin Black Line, one of three important exhibitions curated by Lubaina Himid in the early 1980s
- Recently discovered 1940s photographs of paintings and sculptures by abstract artist Marlow Moss
- S. Lowry’s Mill at Farnworth, 1921
- Jamaican-born sculptor Ronald Moody’s original typescript for An Exile Looks Back
- First World War medals belonging to sculptor Julian Phelps Allan OBE
As per the new industry norm, visitors must book a timed ticket in advance to visit the new anniversary display at Tate Britain, which will run until next autumn.
